International Translation Day 2026 and why translators matter

Today is International Translation Day. September 30 is the feast day of St. Jerome, who translated the Bible and is considered the patron saint of translators. The International Federation of Translators, known as FIT, has promoted the day since the organization was founded in 1953, and in 2017 the United Nations General Assembly formally recognized it.

Each year FIT chooses a theme. For 2026 it is "Linguistic Diversity and Language Rights," with the subtitle "The Power of Being Understood." The focus is on how translation, interpreting, policy and technology can help people get equal access to justice, education, health care and public services in a language they understand. The observance also falls within the UN's International Decade of Indigenous Languages, which runs from 2022 to 2032.

Translation Commons and UNESCO held a virtual event this morning from 7 to 9:30 a.m. Pacific. It was livestreamed on the Translation Commons YouTube channel, and a recording is expected to be available afterward if you want to watch it later.

The work of translators and interpreters shows up in ordinary places: medicine labels, court hearings, subtitles on a favorite show, a hospital interpreter on the phone, and the instruction manual for a new appliance. Machine translation tools have become common, but professional translators still handle a great deal of the work where accuracy matters most.

A small way to mark the day is to read one translated book, article or poem this week, and to notice the translator's name on the cover or byline.