2010年，聯合國教科文組織(UNESCO，聯合國教育、科學及文化組織)設立了這一聯合國國際中文節，旨在「慶祝多種語言和文化多樣性，並促進在整個組織內平等使用其所有六種官方工作語言」。4月20日被選為漢語「紀念倉頡」的日子。倉頡是一個神話人物，據推測他在大約5000年前發明了漢字。
第一個中文日是在2010年11月12日，但從2011年開始，日期是4月20日，大致相當於中國曆法中的穀雨。中國人慶祝穀雨(通常始於4月20日左右)是為了紀念倉頡，因為傳說倉頡發明漢字時，神靈和鬼魂會哭泣，並下小米雨;「穀雨」一詞的字面意思是「穀雨」。
Chinese Language Day - Gu Yu
The event was established by the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) in 2010 to seeking "to celebrate multilingualism and cultural diversity as well as to promote equal use of all six of its official working languages throughout the organization". April 20 was chosen as the date for the Chinese language "to pay tribute to Cang Jie, a mythical figure who is presumed to have invented Chinese characters about 5,000 years ago".
The first Chinese Language Day was celebrated in 2010 on the 12th of November but beginning in 2011 the date is the 20th of April, roughly corresponding to Guyu in the Chinese calendar. Chinese people celebrate Guyu (which usually begins around April 20) in honour of Cangjie, because of a legend that when Cangjie invented Chinese characters, the deities and ghosts cried and it rained millet; the word "Guyu" literally means "rain of millet".