National Essay Day – February 28, 2027

History of National Essay Day

An essay is usually a piece of writing used to put forth the author’s argument on a specific topic. Essays, which are often classified as formal or informal, can be written on a wide range of themes for a variety of objectives. From the beginning of time until now, essays have been and will be of important literary value.

One of the most prominent players in the history of essays is Michel de Montaigne. He is regarded as one of the most important philosophers of the French Renaissance, and he is credited with popularizing the essay as a literary genre. Among many others, De Montaigne impacted the works of Francis Bacon, Voltaire, Virginia Woolf, Sigmund Freud, Edward Darwin, and even William Shakespeare.

De Montaigne published a large collection of short, subjective essays on different topics which were called ‘Essais’. This was inspired by his study of the classics and intended to describe humans and himself with utter frankness. These writings are divided into three books and cover 107 chapters of varying 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 ripple effect, essays grew in popularity and usage as time went by and are still a very common part of the written language. Essays allow us to explore and communicate our thoughts, arguments, and findings in a structured yet freeway that enables our minds to take the wheel. Essay writing is a great skill to have and practicing 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. National Essay Day is celebrated every year to encourage this incredible practice.