This celebration dates back to 1950 in Europe and here The Yucatán Times tell you its history and origin
Mérida, Yucatán, May 15, 2021, (MILENIO).- Teacher’s Day, which is celebrated on May 15 in Mexico, is a date designated to honor all teachers and educators in our country. However, the origin of this celebration dates back to 1950 in Europe and has political and religious reasons why it exists, in which a Pope was key to its creation.
For this reason, here we tell you why Teacher’s Day is celebrated on May 15 in Mexico and what is the true story behind this date.
Photo: (Marca)
Origin and history of Teacher’s Day
On May 15, the Catholic saint celebrates the feast of Saint John Baptist de La Salle, who was born in Reims, France, in the middle of the seventeenth century, a priest, theologian, and pedagogue who dedicated his life to the training of teachers who dedicated themselves to the education of children of artisans and children of limited resources.
With this objective, John Baptist founded the Congregation of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, better known as the De La Salle Brothers, an institution with religious roots but secular teachings, focused on the teaching and formation of poor and orphaned children and youth.
For these works, on May 15, 1950, Pope Pius XII named Saint John Baptist de La Salle the “universal patron of all educators,” and this date became one of the saint’s festivals, in addition to April 7, the anniversary of his birth.
Photo: (Milenio)
Why do we celebrate Teacher’s Day in Mexico?
On the other hand, in Mexico we owe the commemoration of Teacher’s Day to President Venustiano Carranza, who in 1917, at the initiative of Benito Ramírez and Enrique Viesca, decreed that on May 15th the teachers of our country be celebrated.
The first Teacher’s Day was celebrated in our country in 1918. The choice of that date was due to the fact that the feast of San Juan Bautista de La Salle coincided with the anniversary of the taking of Quéretaro.
In other countries, the celebration happens on other dates. UNESCO, for example, declared October 5 as World Teachers’ Day.
Photo: (Milenio)
Source: Milenio
