About Read a Fairy Tale Day

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Read a Fairy Tale Day seeks to remind us of the delightfully happy endings found in fairy tales. You know, those stories where everything works out? The goblins and witches are banished, the boy always gets the girl, and everyone lives happily ever after.

Fairy tales have been around since 1300 BC, that is, tales of mythical creatures in ideal situations. However, the type of story we generally associate with the fairytale originated in Europe and the Middle East. At first, these were oral stories passed down from generation to generation, and they proliferated during the Renaissance period with the advent of the printing press.

Why this day was chosen instead of February 24 is still being determined. February 24, 1786, Wilhelm Carl Grimm was born, part of The Brothers Grimm, with his brother Jacob. Together they became synonymous with fairy tales.

Which is the best-selling fairy tale of all time?

Before Disney, that would be "One Thousand and One Nights," which is a compilation of stories gathered over several centuries, including "Scheherazade," "Aladdin's Wonderful Lamp," "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves," and "The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor."

"One Thousand and One Nights" is the perfect example of East meets West in folklore, and possibly why it remains popular globally. Everyone of every culture can relate. And boys like them as much as girls.

The stories of Aladdin, Ali Baba, and Sinbad were created during the 17th and 18th centuries by Europeans traveling or living in the Middle East, most notably Antoine Galland, who translated the original stories from Arabic into French; "Scheherazade" and others in the book were written during Islam's Golden Era, during the 12th and 13th centuries, or derived from oral legends common to West Asia. "One Thousand and One Nights" is a collection of stories that took centuries to compile and required input from nearly every major culture to create the timeless fairy tales generations continue to love.

Celebrate Read a Fairy Tale Day. Grab your magic carpet, kiss a frog and ride off into the sunset with the one you love.