General Knowledge

National Essay Day 2023: Date, History, Facts, Activities

Typically, an essay is a piece of writing that presents the author's argument on a particular topic. Essays, which are frequently categorised as formal or informal, can be written on a wide variety of topics for various purposes.

National Essay Day is celebrated on February 28, the birthday of Michel de Montaigne, the first writer to use the term ‘essays’ This day encourages students to write essays on a variety of topics. This allows them to explore idea generation and writing without strict academic restrictions and guidelines.

The background of National Essay Day

Typically, an essay is a piece of writing that presents the author’s argument on a particular topic. Essays, which are frequently categorised as formal or informal, can be written on a wide variety of topics for various purposes. Since the beginning of time, essays have had and will continue to have significant literary value.

Michel de Montaigne is a prominent figure in the history of the essay. As one of the most influential philosophers of the French Renaissance, he is credited with popularising the essay as a literary form. De Montaigne influenced the works of numerous authors, including Francis Bacon, Voltaire, Virginia Woolf, Sigmund Freud, Edward Darwin, and even William Shakespeare.

De Montaigne published an extensive collection of short, subjective essays on a variety of topics titled “Essais.” This was inspired by his study of the classics and was written with the intention of describing humans and himself with complete candour. These writings are organised into three books with a total of 107 chapters of differing lengths. Aside from their intriguing and compelling subject, these pieces became well-known for their style. A decade after De Montaigne’s essays were published, Francis Bacon released his Essay collections, which are thought to be directly influenced by De Montaigne’s.

As a result of a ripple effect, essays grew in popularity and usage over time and remain a common component of the written language. Essays enable us to explore and communicate our ideas, arguments, and findings in a way that is both structured and open-ended, allowing our minds to take the wheel. Essay writing is a great skill to have and practising from a young age is supremely beneficial in not just a creative writing aspect but also in terms of letting your thoughts and ideas flow. Every year, National Essay Day is observed to promote this remarkable practise.

Global Scouse Day 2023: Date, History, Facts, Activities

NATIONAL ESSAY DAY ACTIVITIES

Write an essay

This could be a formal or informal topic, such as something serious or lighthearted. About politics or the most recent film you saw. Just pick up your writing tool of choice and write an essay today.

Read an essay

Or more. There is an infinite essay archive available online. Choose a topic or author whose work you’ve been meaning to read and dive in. You could even read one of De Montaigne’s essays.

Offer an essay subject

The purpose of this day is to get students comfortable with essay writing. If you have a student in your circle of friends or family, encourage them to participate and provide them with a writing prompt.

5 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT WRITING

Colygraphia is the medical term for writer’s block.

According to reports, Peter Bales created a handwritten copy of the “Bible” so small that it could fit inside a walnut shell.

Edith Sitwell reportedly liked to lie in an open coffin before she began her day’s writing.

Graham Greene would write 500 words per day before stopping, sometimes in the middle of a sentence.

Agatha Christie suffered from dysgraphia, which meant she could not write legibly so she dictated all of her novels.

NATIONAL ESSAY DAY DATES

Year Date Day
2023 February 28 Tuesday
2024 February 28 Wednesday
2025 February 28 Friday
2026 February 28 Saturday
2027 February 28 Sunday

 

Arshiya Khan

Arshiya Khan is a Commerce graduate who loves to write on general and trending topics.

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