The holiday, on which ladies eagerly await congratulations, flowers and gifts, and men turn into gallant gentlemen and show their loved ones signs of attention, arose more than a century and a half ago as a day of women’s struggle for their rights.

The political coloring of the holiday has been washed away by time and now on March 8 everyone celebrates the onset of spring.

International Women's Day

The holiday originated in the distant past and is closely intertwined with the ongoing struggle of women of many generations for equality with men.

According to unconfirmed reports, International Women's Day is associated with the “March of the Empty Pots”, which New York textile workers held on March 8, 1857.

Taking to the streets 161 years ago, they demanded equality, in particular, shorter working hours and equal pay conditions to men.

The police dispersed the demonstrators, but two years later they managed to create the first trade union to protect their interests, which in those distant times was a great achievement.

New York women stood up for their rights again after 51 years - this time adding women's right to vote to their demands.

A demonstration in New York under the slogan “Bread and Roses,” where bread symbolized economic security and roses best quality 15 thousand women spent their lives on March 8, 1908. And in May, the Socialist Party of America proclaimed the last Sunday in February National Women's Day.

The long-term struggle of women ultimately bore fruit: in Germany, Austria, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia, women received the right to vote in 1918, and in the United States in 1920.

Women's Day was established as an international day at the suggestion of the German communist Clara Zetkin at the Women's Forum in Copenhagen in 1910, which was attended by more than a hundred activists from around the world.

© photo: Sputnik / RIA Novosti

Women from different countries have held rallies and marches on International Women's Day since 1911 to draw public attention to their problems and eliminate gender inequality.

The first international agreement declaring equality between men and women was the UN Charter, signed in 1945 in San Francisco. 30 years later, the UN officially established March 8 as a holiday, and 1975 as the International Women's Year.

Since 1965, International Women's Day March 8 has become a holiday and a non-working day in the USSR, in accordance with the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Council. Over the years, the holiday has lost its political connotation and has become simply International Women's Day - March 8th.

During the Soviet era, International Women's Day was also celebrated in Georgia, but after the collapse of the Union, March 8 was abolished, like many other Soviet holidays.

International Women's Day March 8 again received the status of a holiday in March 2002, under the second President of Georgia, Eduard Shevardnadze.

This decision was made by the Georgian legislature on the initiative of Nino Burjanadze, who then served as chairman of the parliament.

Holiday traditions

Over the past decades, enough celebration traditions have accumulated, although different countries celebrated in different ways, somewhere on a larger scale, and somewhere less.

International Women's Day is celebrated almost everywhere in the former Soviet Union, including Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Ukraine.

International Women's Day is celebrated on March 8 in China, however, only Chinese women relax on this day, going to cafes and shopping with their friends. And men, after a regular working day, prepare the traditional “Loyalty Pumpkin”.

Vietnamese people relax on this day and celebrate the International Day of Women's Struggle for their rights. Previously, they celebrated March 8 as a day of remembrance for the brave Trung sisters, who bravely fought against the Chinese invasion of Vietnam and died preferring death to captivity.

In Italy, March 8 is a holiday, but not a day off. On this day, Italians organize bachelorette parties at discos or clubs. On the occasion of the International women's day male strip clubs in Rome offer women free entry.

International Women's Day is not celebrated in France, although special charity events are held on March 8th. The French donate the money collected on this day to a fund for heroine mothers so that they can go on vacation.

In general, on International Women's Day, various events, dedicated to women, including exhibitions, flash mobs, concerts and so on. On March 8, all women are given flowers and gifts, and outstanding ones are given memorable gifts and awards.

There are many traditions, but the most important one is Special attention men to women.

Dear men, take care of your women, pamper them, give flowers and gifts all year round, and not just March 8, and your attention will definitely return to you a hundredfold!!!

The material was prepared based on open sources

© Sputnik / Maria Tsimintia

At the beginning of spring, March 8th celebrates the beautiful spring holiday International Women's Day or World Women's Day. This day also marks the Ukrainian holiday - Land Surveyor's Day.

International holiday - Women's Day

This holiday is celebrated by all women, during this holiday they remember the achievements of women in economic, political and social areas.
In our time, the celebration of Women's Day does not have the goal of promoting equality; this day is simply considered a wonderful day of spring and female beauty, spiritual wisdom and tenderness.
Women's Day on March 8 is celebrated by the entire United Nations, and in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Azerbaijan and Armenia this day is also national holiday.
The leader of the women's group from the Social Democratic Party of Germany, Clara Zetkin, in 1910, at the 2nd International Conference of Working Women in Copenhagen, put forward the idea of ​​​​celebrating International Women's Day.
Clara Zetkin proposed, in order to fight for women's rights, to celebrate Women's Day in every country on the same day every year.
International Women's Day became an official holiday in 1975 by decision of the UN.
Today, International Women's Day is, first of all, a celebration of spring and attention to women. On this day, representatives of the strong half of humanity delight their relatives and beloved women with gifts and care.

Ukrainian holiday - Land Surveyor's Day

Land Surveyor's Day or Land Surveyor's Day is Ukrainian professional holiday, which has been celebrated annually since 2000 every second Saturday in March. The time for celebrating this day was established by the Decree of the President of Ukraine on December 11, 1999 “On Land Surveyor’s Day.” This year, the celebration of Land Surveyor's Day fell on March 8th. Land management in Ukraine ensures the protection of land resources, creates a favorable ecological environment and forms a rational system of land use.

Unusual holidays

Spring Wings Day

Today unusual holiday- Day of the wings of spring. Spring comes to us on the wings of a warm wind.
How to celebrate this holiday? Yes, very simple.
Spring has come, just enjoy the first warmth and clear sun. You can at festive table On March 8, prepare a spring dish - larks or “wings of spring.”
Ingredients for larks:
500 g flour, 1/2 cup milk, 1 packet (7 g) dry yeast (or 40 g yeast), 80 g butter, 2 yolks, 1 egg, 2 tbsp. sugar, salt, beaten egg with a teaspoon of sugar (for greasing baked goods), a handful of raisins for decoration
Cooking method:
Prepare the dough, add softened butter, hard, egg and the remaining flour to the dough, knead the dough, let the dough rise in a warm place for an hour, then knead the risen dough with your hands and let it stand for another half hour to an hour.
Divide the finished dough into 10 equal balls, roll each ball into a rope 15 cm long and tie each rope in a knot, give one end the shape of a bird's head by sculpting a beak with your fingers, flatten the other end of the rope and place the lark bird on a baking sheet. Let the dough sit for another 25-30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Brush the surface of the dough with beaten egg and sugar. Bake the larks until golden color 15-20 minutes.

Holiday according to the folk calendar

Polikarpov day

On this day, the people honored the memory of Saint Polycarp, who was a disciple of the Apostle John and who later became the Bishop of Smyrna. Polycarp was often called "the leader of Asia in Christianity."
On March 8, Polikarpov Day, unmarried girls in Rus' tidied up their dresses and were sad, because if the girl did not have time to get married before Shrovetide, then they were already waiting for the end of spring. The people had this saying: “Get your chests away, girl, close your outfits.”
The girls, of course, didn’t waste any time anyway and after this holiday they tried to attract suitors. For this they used different rituals.
On Polikarpov's Day, the girls waited until the young moon rose in the sky, and then, seeing it, they spun on the heel of their right foot and said: “Young moon, hover around me with suitors, as I hover around you.” Unnoticed by everyone, the girls swept rubbish from the street into the house, while saying: “I’m not driving thieves into my hut, but good fellows. Come to me, suitors from other people’s yards.”
They said about magpies on Polycarp: “A magpie in the forest has taken to its nest,” “It’s time for the magpies to go into the forest, and for the black grouse to start singing.”
Name day March 8 from Alexander, Alexei, Ivan, Clement, Kuzma, Mikhail, Moses, Nikolai, Polycarp, Sergei, Fedor.

March 7 in history

1965 - International Women's Day March 8 became a non-working day.
1968 - The Soviet diesel submarine K-129 sank in the Pacific Ocean during a combat patrol. According to various sources, from 98 to 105 sailors died.
1969 - Egypt breaks the truce with Israel.
1975 - The Soviet submarine PL-574 with nuclear missiles sank in the Pacific Ocean.
1976 - The largest known stone meteorite weighing 1,774 kg fell into China.
1982 - P. Todorovsky’s film “The Beloved Woman of Mechanic Gavrilov” with L. Gurchenko in the title role was released.
1983 - Reagan at the National Convention of Evangelicals called the Soviet Union the center of evil in modern world, a true "evil empire", arguing that peace can only be achieved through force.
1984 - P.L. died. Kapitsa, Soviet physicist, academician, twice Hero of Socialist Labor.
1988 - The Ovechkin family from Irkutsk hijacks a plane and tries to escape from the USSR; the attack on the plane leads to casualties.
1992 - Sergei Vladimirovich Obraztsov (b. 1901), Russian Soviet director, actor, writer, artist, director of the Central Puppet Theater, died.

Click to listen

March 8: the non-women's history of the holiday. The celebration of International Women's Day is usually associated with the leader (leader?) of the world communist movement Clara Zetkin, who proposed introducing this day in 1910. This happened at the Second International Women's Conference in Copenhagen. . But few people know that the holiday was originally celebrated on March 19th. And in general, in different countries the date was “floating”; in Russia, for example, in 1913 it was celebrated on March 2. But starting from 1914, March 8 was celebrated everywhere, because in the year the First World War began, March 8 fell on a Sunday, and the date was fixed. Some researchers associate this holiday with the Jewish Purim, when they remember Queen Esther, the wife of Xerxes, who prevented Jewish pogroms in Persia. The date of this holiday is also floating - but in 1910 it fell on March 8th. Some recall both the famous Judith and the day of the Harlots of Zion (Babylon). Others say that back in 1848, the King of Prussia (as a result of the workers’ uprising on March 8!), among other things, promised women the right to vote. And then they remember another socialist, Elena Grinberg, who proposed a specific date. But perhaps the closest thing to the truth is another event: on March 8, 1857, women workers in the textile industry and clothing factories of New York, protesting against women’s low wages and poor working conditions, organized a march through the streets of Manhattan. Let me remind you that these women had to work 16 hours a day for pennies! Democracy after all... But after these protests, women were “equalized” in rights with men, and they received a 10-hour working day (like men!!!). On March 8, 1901, the first ever protest march of women housewives took place in Chicago - the so-called “pot riot” or “march of empty pots.” Using these dishes as drums, women sought equal political rights, the opportunity to work in production without restrictions or restrictions, but most interestingly, the right to serve in the army and police. Since then, all leftist parties in the United States began to apply these demands in their programs. So the date of the holiday and its reasons can be discussed for a long time. But the main fact is that after the victory of the Bolsheviks in October 1917, this day began to be celebrated annually in Russia. At the global level, it was consolidated in 1921, when the 2nd Communist Women's Conference finally approved March 8 (February 23, old style!!!) in the USSR as International Women's Day. Why did they start from February 23, which can cause all men to be confused? It's simple - it was on February 23, 1917 that thousands of women took to the streets of Petrograd demanding “bread and peace!” So what subsequently happened was a unique coincidence between Defender of the Fatherland Day and International Women’s Day with a difference in calendar styles. However, as they say smart people, there are no coincidences. And although March 8 for a long time remained a working day, the Soviet government “celebrated” it in every possible way: it reported to the people about its achievements in the field of women’s rights, and in 1925, for example, discounts on galoshes were announced for women in USSR stores! March 8 became a non-working holiday in the USSR in 1966. This was announced on May 8, 1965, on the eve of the 20th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. And in 1977, the USSR convinced the UN to declare March 8 International Women's Day. More precisely, the International Day for Women's Rights and International Peace. True, it is no secret that in the Western world - at least at the state level - this holiday has not become a holiday. It should be noted that in the late USSR and modern Russia it ceased to have political overtones. This is a day of universal male admiration for women. One of my friends from Germany in the mid-90s said to me, watching how bouquets were being bought up on the eve of March 8: “Oh, tomorrow is your Russian Valentine’s Day!” To which I answered him that this is not Valentine’s Day for us, but we are simply reminding ourselves that we can’t live without women, that everything rests on them, that men are strong in attack, and women are strong in constancy. And in general, we always love women, and March 8 is a kind of culmination for us, in which there is no political or any other background. By the way, many foreigners, and especially foreigners from Western Europe and the USA, openly envied our women on March 8th. Journalists wrote about how Femininity Day is celebrated in the USSR, and even in schools boys place bouquets and cards on the desks of their classmates... It is noteworthy that the Soviet Minister of Culture Furtseva even wanted to cancel this day (back in 1961!), considering it offensive to Soviet women. One way or another, the day of femininity remains with us. It remained throughout the entire USSR in one form or another. Today March 8th is officially celebrated in 31 countries around the world. But not in all countries March 8 is International Women's Day. This day is celebrated in the following countries: Azerbaijan, Angola, Armenia, Afghanistan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Vietnam, Guinea-Bissau, Georgia, Zambia, Israel, Italy, Cambodia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Kiribati, People's Republic of China (but working day), DPRK (North Korea), Congo (“Congolese Women's Day”), Costa Rica, Cuba, Laos, Madagascar (day off for women only), Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Nepal, Poland, Russia, Romania, Serbia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Uzbekistan (“Mother’s Day”), Ukraine, Croatia, Montenegro, Eritrea. It is celebrated in different ways... For example, in seemingly socialist China, on March 8, it is customary to congratulate only elderly and honored party leaders and public figures. The rest of the women on this day continue to build a bright future... And here in Russia - after Europe’s distortions towards same-sex marriage and other “gender equality”, the day of March 8 has also acquired, as men now say, the “correct” meaning. This is the day of love for a woman... On one of these days I ironically wrote: Once upon a time you took us away from paradise, To the ends of the earth, to the very, very edge... Why did you do this - I don’t know, Probably so that by loving and seducing us to return to paradise, at least for a short time... And how can the Earth not spin now, We definitely won’t return there without you!

The celebration of International Women's Day is usually associated with the leader (leader?) of the world communist movement Clara Zetkin, who proposed introducing this day in 1910. This happened at the Second International Women's Conference in Copenhagen.

But few people know that the holiday was originally celebrated on March 19th. And in general, in different countries the date was “floating”; in Russia, for example, in 1913 it was celebrated on March 2. But starting since 1914 March 8 was already celebrated everywhere, because in the year the First World War began, March 8 fell on a Sunday, and the date was fixed.

Some researchers associate this holiday with the Jewish Purim, when they remember Queen Esther, the wife of Xerxes, who prevented Jewish pogroms in Persia. The date of this holiday is also floating - but in 1910 it fell on March 8th. Some at the same time remember both the famous Judith and the day of the Zion (Babylonian) harlots... Others say that in 1848 the king of Prussia (as a result of the workers' uprising on March 8!), among other things, promised women the right to vote. And then they remember another socialist - Elena Grinberg, who proposed a specific date.

But perhaps the closest thing to the truth is another event: on March 8, 1857, women workers in the textile industry and clothing factories of New York, protesting against women’s low wages and poor working conditions, organized a march through the streets of Manhattan. Let me remind you that these women had to work 16 hours a day for pennies! Democracy after all... But after these protests, women were “equalized” in rights with men, and they received a 10-hour working day (like men!!!).

March 8, 1901 The first ever protest march of women housewives took place in Chicago - the so-called “pot riot” or “march of empty pots”. Using these dishes as drums, women sought equal political rights, the opportunity to work in production without restrictions or restrictions, but most interestingly, the right to serve in the army and police. Since then, all leftist parties in the United States began to apply these demands in their programs.

So the date of the holiday and its reasons can be discussed for a long time. But the main fact is that after the victory of the Bolsheviks in October 1917, this day began to be celebrated annually in Russia. At the global level, it was consolidated in 1921, when the 2nd Communist Women's Conference finally approved March 8 (February 23, old style!!!) in the USSR as International Women's Day. Why did they start from February 23, which can cause all men to be confused? It's simple - it was on February 23, 1917 that thousands of women took to the streets of Petrograd demanding “bread and peace!” So what subsequently happened was a unique coincidence between Defender of the Fatherland Day and International Women’s Day with a difference in calendar styles. However, as smart people say, there are no coincidences.

And although March 8 remained a working day for a long time, the Soviet government “celebrated” it in every possible way: it reported to the people about its achievements in the field of women’s rights, and in 1925, for example, discounts on galoshes were announced for women in USSR stores! March 8 became a non-working holiday in the USSR in 1966. This was announced on May 8, 1965, on the eve of the 20th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. And in 1977, the USSR convinced the UN to declare March 8 International Women's Day. More precisely, the International Day for Women's Rights and International Peace. True, it is no secret that in the Western world - at least at the state level - this holiday has not become a holiday.

It should be noted that in the late USSR and modern Russia it ceased to have a political connotation. This is a day of universal male admiration for women. One of my friends from Germany told me in the mid-90s, watching how bouquets were being bought up on the eve of March 8:

- Oh, tomorrow is your Russian Valentine's Day!

To which I answered him that this is not Valentine’s Day for us, but we are simply reminding ourselves that we can’t live without women, that everything rests on them, that men are strong in attack, and women are strong in constancy. And in general, we always love women, and March 8 is a kind of culmination for us, in which there is no political or any other background.

By the way, many foreigners, and especially foreigners from Western Europe and the USA, openly envied our women on March 8th. Journalists wrote about how Femininity Day is celebrated in the USSR, and even in schools boys place bouquets and cards on the desks of their classmates... It is noteworthy that the Soviet Minister of Culture Furtseva even wanted to cancel this day (back in 1961!), considering it offensive to Soviet women.

One way or another, the day of femininity remains with us. It remained throughout the entire USSR in one form or another. Today March 8th is officially celebrated in 31 countries around the world. But not in all countries March 8 is International Women's Day. This day is celebrated in the following countries: Azerbaijan, Angola, Armenia, Afghanistan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Vietnam, Guinea-Bissau, Georgia, Zambia, Israel, Italy, Cambodia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Kiribati, People's Republic of China (but working day), DPRK (North Korea), Congo (“Congolese Women's Day”), Costa Rica, Cuba, Laos, Madagascar (day off for women only), Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Nepal, Poland, Russia, Romania, Serbia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Uzbekistan (“Mother’s Day”), Ukraine, Croatia, Montenegro, Eritrea. It is celebrated in different ways... For example, in seemingly socialist China, on March 8, it is customary to congratulate only elderly and honored party leaders and public figures. The rest of the women continue to build a bright future on this day...

And here in Russia - after Europe’s distortions towards same-sex marriage and other “gender equality”, March 8th also acquired, as men now say, the “correct” meaning. This is the day of love for a woman... On one of these days I ironically wrote:

Once upon a time you took us away from paradise,

To the ends of the earth, to the very, very edge...

Why did you do this - I don’t know, probably to love and seduce,

To return us to paradise, at least for a little while...

And how can the Earth not spin now?

We definitely won’t be able to return there without you!

Without which holiday is it difficult to imagine the beginning of spring? Of course, without March 8th. The history of the creation of the March 8 holiday has already been forgotten by many of us. Over time, it lost its social and political significance. Now this day simply symbolizes respect, love and tenderness, which, undoubtedly, all representatives of the fair sex on the planet deserve: mothers, grandmothers, daughters, wives and sisters.

The origin of the March 8 holiday is not known to everyone. Most of us only know about the official version. However, there is more than one story about the creation of the March 8 holiday. Moreover, each of them has the right to exist. Which of these versions to believe in, everyone decides for himself.

Official version

According to the official version of the USSR, the origin of the March 8 holiday is associated with a protest march organized by textile factory workers. Women came out to protest against harsh working conditions and low wages.

It is noteworthy that the newspapers of those years did not publish a single article about such strikes. Later, historians managed to find out that in 1857 March 8 fell on a Sunday. It may seem strange that women went on strike on a day off.

There is another story. On March 8, Clara Zetkin spoke at the women's forum in Copenhagen with a call to establish a German communist who implied that on March 8 women would be able to organize marches and rallies, thereby drawing public attention to their own problems. The date was framed as a strike by those same textile workers, which in reality never happened.

In the USSR, this holiday appeared thanks to Clara Zetkin’s friend, the fiery revolutionary Alexandra Kollontai. So in 1921, Women's Day became an official holiday in our country for the first time.

The Legend of the Queen of the Jews

Historians' opinions about the origins of Clara Zetkin are divided. No one can say for sure whether she was Jewish. Some sources say that Clara was born into a Jewish family. Others claim that her father was German.

Clara Zetkin's desire to connect the holiday with the date of March 8 ambiguously indicates that she still had Jewish roots, since March 8 marks the ancient Jewish holiday - Purim.

What other versions of the creation of the March 8 holiday are there? The history of the holiday may be connected with the history of the Jewish people. According to legend, Queen Esther, who was the beloved of King Xerxes, saved the Jews from extermination with the help of her spells. The Persian king intended to kill all the Jews, but the beautiful Esther was able to convince him not to kill the Jewish people, but, on the contrary, to exterminate all enemies, including the Persians.

Praising the queen, Jews began to celebrate the holiday of Purim. The date of the celebration was always different and fell at the end of February - beginning of March. However, in 1910 this day fell on March 8th.

Women of an ancient profession

According to the third version, the origin of the March 8 holiday is scandalous and unpleasant for women who look forward to this day.

According to some reports, in 1857, New York women actually organized a protest, but they were not textile workers, but representatives of the oldest profession who demanded payment wages sailors who used their services because the latter could not pay for them.

March 8, 1894 women lung behavior again held a demonstration, but in Paris. They demanded recognition of their rights on an equal basis with other workers who sew clothes and bake bread, and also asked to organize trade unions for them. The following year, rallies were held in Chicago and New York.

It is noteworthy that Clara Zetkin herself participated in such actions. For example, in 1910, she and her friend brought prostitutes onto the streets of Germany demanding an end to police brutality. In the Soviet version, public women had to be replaced with “workers”.

Why was it necessary to implement March 8?

The history of International Women's Day in Russia is political. March 8 is essentially an ordinary political campaign carried out by the Social Democrats. At the beginning of the 20th century there were active protests to attract public attention. To do this, they took to the streets with posters promoting socialist calls. This was to the advantage of the leaders of the Social Democratic Party, since progressive women were in solidarity with the party.

This is probably why Stalin ordered the recognition of March 8 as Women's Day. Because it was impossible to connect the date with historical events, the story had to be slightly adjusted. If the leader said it, it had to be done.

Women from Venus

Traditions associated with the International are no less interesting than the origin of the March 8 holiday. For example, on this day it is customary to wear purple ribbons.

And this is not surprising, because this color represents Venus, which is considered the patroness of all women. That is why all famous ladies (politicians, teachers, medical workers, journalists, actresses and athletes) wear purple ribbons when taking part in March 8 events. Typically, they take part in political rallies, women's conferences or theater performances, fairs and even fashion shows.

The meaning of the holiday

There is no city where March 8 is not celebrated. For many, the history of the holiday personifies the indomitable spirit of women fighting for equality and their own. For others, this holiday has long lost its political overtones and has become an excellent occasion to express love and respect for the fair sex.

On the day, words of congratulations on March 8th are heard everywhere. In any organization, company or educational institution, employees are honored and given flowers and gifts. Along with this, official events are held in cities on March 8th. A festive concert is held annually in the Kremlin in Moscow.

How is March 8 celebrated in Russia?

On March 8th, all women forget about household chores. All housework (cleaning, cooking, washing) is put off. Often men take on all the worries so that once a year they feel the complexity of carrying out the daily tasks that our women cope with. On this day, every representative of the fair sex should hear words of congratulations on March 8th.

This holiday never ceases to be the most long-awaited for all women. On March 8, it is customary to congratulate not only loved ones, but also colleagues, neighbors, store employees, doctors and teachers.

Don't skimp on nice words on this wonderful day. After all, without women, life on Earth would cease to exist!