조선어 연구회는 훈민정음이 반포된 때로부터 8번째 회갑(480년)이 되는 음력 1926년(병인) 9월 29일을 ‘가갸날’로 정하고, 그 날 신민사와 공동으로 기념식을 가졌다. 일제의 억압으로 사그라져 가는 겨레넋을 지켜 내려는 의도를 깔고 있었다. 1928년부터 ‘한글날’로 고쳐 불렀다. 1931년부터는 양력 10월 29일에 기념식을 가졌는데, 1934년부터 다시 양력 10월 28일로 옮겼다. 1937년부터 1944년까지는 기념식을 갖지 못했다. 일제가 집회를 금지하고, 조선어 학회의 많은 회원들이 고초를 당하고 있었기 때문이다. 광복과 함께 1945년부터 다시 한글날 기념식을 가졌으며, 이 해에 날짜를 10월 9일로 확정했다. 훈민정음 반포 500돌이 되는 1946년부터 공휴일로 쇠다가 1949년에 ‘법정 공휴일’로 지정하였다. 1981년에 기념식 주최권을 정부에서 가져갔으며, 1982년에 ‘법정 기념일’로 지정했다. 그런데 1990년 11월에 공휴일 규정을 고쳐 한글날을 공휴일에서 빼 버렸다. 1990년의 사건은 한글날의 법적 지위에 대한 인식을 새롭게 해 주었다. 그로부터 ‘한글날 국경일 지정’ 운동이 불붙기 시작했으며, 15년 동안 각계각층의 사람들이 이 운동에 줄기차게 참여하였다. 그 결과 2005년 12월 19일에 한글날은 국경일로 지정되었다. 외세의 억압 아래서 첫 기념식을 가진 지 80년, 이제부터 한글날 국경일 시대가 열린 것이다.
The Korean Language Society(한글 학회) selected September 29th, 1926 of the lunar calendar and designated the day as ‘Gagya Day’ (가갸날) despite the fact that it had been 480 years since the proclamation of Hunmin-jeongeum(훈민정음). On that day, in collaboration with the Sinminsa, they held a commemorative ceremony for the proclamation of Hunmin-jeongeum. Even under the oppression of Japan, Gagya Day was observed in an effort to keep the soul of Korea and Korean culture. This was the beginning and the celebration of Hangeul Day. Gagya Day was renamed ‘Hangeul Day’(한글날) in 1928. Since 1931, they observed and celebrated Hangeul Day on October 29th, following the solar calendar. After a mistake was discovered in 1934 in the conversion of September 29th of the lunar calendar to that of the solar calendar, Hangeul Day was celebrated on the day of October 28th following the solar calendar. However, from 1937 to 1944, Hangeul Day could not be celebrated because Japan banned the celebration as the Sino-Japanese War between and the Pacific War broke out. In particular, beginning in October 1942, many members of the Korean Language Society were prosecuted by Japan and among them, leading members were arrested and imprisoned until the Japanese surrender of August 15th, 1945. In 1945, with the independence from Japan, Hangeul Day was celebrated again, but this time it was observed on the day of October 9th based on the documentation in the Hunmin-jeongeum (Haeryeobon) that was discovered in 1940. The Hunmin-jeongeum (Haeryeobon) is the book in which the creation of Hangeul is recorded. On October 10th, 1946, when it had its 500th anniversary, Hangeul Day was appointed as a holiday and celebrated on a large scale. After that, Hangeul Day was celebrated as a holiday with a commemorative ceremony. On June 4th, 1949, it was designated as a legal holiday according to The Decree of the Holiday in Government and Public Offices(관공서의 공휴일에 관한 규정). Then, on March 30th, 1973, Hangeul Day became a legal anniversary based on The Decree of Various Anniversaries(각종 기념일 등에 관한 규정). Until 1980, the ceremony of Hangeul Day had been held by the Korean Language Society. In 1981, however, the government took over the ceremony of Hangeul Day and held it under the moral justification that it should be celebrated on a greater scale with dignity. On November 5, 1990, however, the newly-established government amended The Decree of the Holiday in Government and Public Offices and took out Hangeul Day from the list of legal holidays. The Korean Language Society took strong objection against the action of the government, but their efforts were in vain. Due to this, the status of Hangeul Day declined, so did the spirit of the people. However, the government action served as an opportunity for peoples, the intellectuals in particular, to newly realize that Hangeul Day was not a day with the highest status as a national anniversary. This realization led to the movement that Hangeul Day should be designated as a national anniversary, culminating in November 1990. People in many areas and levels provided their support for the movement for about 15 years. As a result of such efforts, Congress passed the amendment of The Act on National Anniversaries(국경일에 관한 법률) on December 28th, 2005 in which Hangeul Day was designated as a national anniversary. Thus, Hangeul Day will be celebrated as a national anniversary beginning in 2006 when 80 years had passed since the first anniversary of Hangeul Day in 1926.