History of the holiday 8. International Women's Day. From city institutions

The people of Vietnam are very partial to March 8, so they arrange an official day off and lavish celebrations. This state has its own history of the solemn date. It used to be a national day to commemorate the Trung sisters who bravely fought against China's invasion of Vietnam and died bravely in battle. Now this holiday symbolizes the struggle of women for their rights.

Italy

Cheerful Italians have played "women's independence" in their own way: every year, seniors and senoritas of different ages arrange bachelorette parties for themselves. Men are strictly prohibited from entering such parties. Celebrations begin in bars with light cocktails, after which women's companies move to various clubs, many of which let girls in for free that evening.

Cuba

On March 8, the atmosphere of a real holiday of revolution and freedom reigns in Cuba. Eyewitnesses claim that the modern Cuban celebration is very similar to how March 8 was celebrated on a grand scale during the Soviet era. Among other things, Cuban women gather at congresses, discuss important political and social issues, and receive awards for success in labor and revolutionary activities.

China

In China, March 8 is partly a public holiday. Partly because only women have a rest on this day. For many ladies, this is a good occasion to meet with friends, arrange gatherings, go shopping and just take a break from the daily grind. Husbands traditionally greet their wives with a ready-made dinner, the so-called "fidelity pumpkin" - in this dish you can find many different ingredients that are cooked inside a large pumpkin.

Greece

International Women's Day in Greece is celebrated quietly and calmly, in the family circle or congratulating women at work. For many couples, this is also a good opportunity to have a romantic dinner.

France

In France, it is not customary to celebrate March 8 loudly, except perhaps among certain political directions. However, on this day, special trading events are organized throughout the country, the purpose of which is to raise funds for charity. Everything that can be collected is donated to the heroine mothers' fund so that they can afford to go on vacation.

Poland

In Poland, on March 8, women are not spoiled with an official holiday, while men do not forget about congratulations and give gifts. The flower markets, which are also getting ready for the holiday, are stocked with spring flowers and are quickly sold out.

Nepal

In Nepal, March 8 is officially a day off - however, only for women. However, here this holiday is not as romantic and peaceful as we know it. On this day, various women's movements in Nepal often organize protests, rallies and strikes, thus trying to draw attention to acute problems regarding women in the country.

DAY AFTER TOMORROW not only Russia, but the whole world will celebrate International Women's Day. The celebration of March 8 in modern Russia is associated primarily with an extra day off and obligatory flowers and gifts for women, while the original political and social meanings of the date are almost ignored. However, this was not always the case. We understand how International Women's Day appeared, why today March 8 is perceived differently than a hundred years ago, and how it can be celebrated.

daria tatarkova

Was March 8 always
"Women's Day"?

Yes and no. The two main gender-defined holidays have been inherited by modern Russia from Soviet times. February 23 and March 8 were not so unambiguous at the time of their occurrence. They came up with the idea of ​​celebrating the 23rd in 1922 as the Day of the Red Army and Navy, over time the name was changed twice, and those marking quite strongly deviated from the essence. Instead of honoring military personnel, February 23 gradually became a day to celebrate all men and the idea of ​​masculinity. A similar fate and have 8 March. Invented as a symbol of the struggle for gender equality and respect for women's work, the holiday has become just an excuse to give a woman a gift once a year, except for her birthday. In modern folklore, the essence of International Women's Day was fully expressed by the phrase "be quiet, woman, your day is March 8" (3 million results in the Yandex search), and the most popular joke on VKontakte about the holiday remains, for example, this video.

How did it appear
International Women's Day?

The date was coined by the socialist movement. In February 1909, the women of New York took to the streets demanding equal pay and giving women the right to vote - it's amazing that a century later, the question of wages is still open. German socialists and the notorious communist Clara Zetkin, along with Rosa Luxembourg, agreed at the Women's Conference the following year that a holiday was needed that would promote equal rights for women, including suffragette ideas.

The celebration reached Russia in 1913. Women's Day was not at all as peaceful as it is now, but was accompanied by rallies and demonstrations. So, on February 23, 1917, according to the old style (that is, March 8, according to the new style), the strike of textile workers and the subsequent organized procession demanding equal rights for women became one of the triggers for a further wave of protests that led to the February Revolution. Coincident in date with one of the most important turning points in the history of Russia, the holiday as a tradition has become stronger in the USSR. Until about the 70s, March 8 was primarily associated with the participants in the revolution and their successful struggle for the independence of women. One way or another, the history of the holiday in the West and in Russia shows that, first of all, it was invented as an instrument of emancipation and popularization of respect for women.

Why is it customary in Russia to give gifts on this day,
rather than strike for equal pay?

History is silent when and why marches and demonstrations were replaced by the current candy-bouquet tradition of celebrating March 8. Some authors believe that the reason for this was the conscious and consistent policy of the Soviet leadership. Already in the 1930s, the much-needed zhenotdels, which were engaged in agitation, education, assistance and the struggle for women's rights, were abolished. Thus, women have lost their social lift, and have not reached new heights in equality. Subsequent women's organizations were largely nominal. Gradually, the revolutionary theme disappeared even from postcards, and the emphasis shifted to the glorification of female beauty and motherhood, making the holiday more like Mother's Day in other countries.

In 1966, under Brezhnev, March 8 became a holiday, so that the active idea of ​​the date finally died out. Today, the holiday has finally turned into a day of following stereotypes about women. This is noticeable both in traditional gifts and in the description of International Women's Day on the Russian-language Internet. According to the Levada Center, in Russia the most popular

gifts on March 8 are flowers and sweets, as well as perfumes and cosmetics. According to VTsIOM, only 5% associate the holiday with emancipation. On the one hand, this survey shows a positive trend in terms of equality - the number of those who believe that women deserve the same privileges as men has increased by 1.5 times. On the other hand, every fifth respondent still considers men much more capable than women. The gender of the survey participants was not specified.

Where else is March 8 celebrated?

International Women's Day is recognized as an official holiday not only in Russia, North Korea and China, but also, for example, in Burkina Faso. In the rest of the world, March 8 is not considered a public holiday, but every year it is gaining more and more popularity, while maintaining a feminist bias. The main promoter of the date today is the United Nations. In 1977, the United Nations invited the participating countries to choose any day to sing the ideas of women's equality and world peace, they became March 8.

Countries that supported the UN primarily use the holiday as an occasion to raise social issues important to women. From year to year, the UN selects a priority topic on which efforts will be directed. In 2013 it was an opposition to violence against women, last year - "Equality for women - progress for all." In 2015 - "Inspiring Women - Inspiring Humanity". The purple ribbon is the symbol of the holiday.

As noted
March 8 this year?

This year's theme comes with the #MakeItHappen hashtag. In Afghanistan, men donned burkas and protested to support women's rights. In India, March 8 this year has become a date against which women continue to demand justice for the victims of violence, who are not protected by law or society. Many publications focus on remembering the origins of the date and offer to mark it not with flowers, but with a call to action and attention, such as key health issues and brave feminists in world history. Forbes explains the real difference in the salaries of men and women and gives advice on how each can improve the situation. Among other things
On March 8, the #UpForSchool petition will be launched to get world leaders to educate 31 million boys and girls around the world.

Today, the Internet plays a key role in making International Women's Day a part of global pop culture. Since 2000, the number of searches on Google in the format "International Women's Day + current year" has grown from 49 million to 196 - that is, 4 times. Specifically, in 2015, on the eve of the holiday, a hashtag appeared #DearMe, under which video bloggers send inspiring messages to themselves - a teenager from the past. This, perhaps naive approach has resonated with the audience, and girls from all over the world write grateful comments for moral support. The hashtag became number one on the service. Many YouTubers just focus on gender role-themed videos, like Kristen from Stuff Mom Never Told You. Must see sketch about "gender rolls" - behind the funny wordplay lies a clear and relevant message that it's time to stop imposing behavior patterns on us depending on biological sex. Of course, the matter is not limited to social networks. Internet favorite and UN Women's Rights Envoy Emma Watson, for example, will host a Q&A on International Women's Day and answer all the viewers' questions about sexism and inequality. By the way, this is a great way to celebrate.

Women, therefore, have
meaningful holiday,
but what about men?

What other days do they celebrate
important events for women?

The UN actively promotes March 8 as a universal date, but there are several other major holidays. One of them is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. It is celebrated on November 25 to commemorate the Mirabal sisters who were killed in the Dominican Republic. Violence against women is still an incredibly common problem that is often not brought to justice. On this day, countries are encouraged to hold events that increase publicity of the problem and talk about ways to solve it.

October 15 marks the International Day of Rural Women, whose rights are sometimes given very little attention. In South Africa, they celebrate their women's day - August 9 - and at the state level. The date is intended to commemorate the struggle of local activists against the tyranny of the apartheid government. So, on August 9, 1956, they prevented the introduction of compulsory passportization of women in South Africa.

March 8, 2018 - International Women's Day: what kind of holiday is it and how is it celebrated, traditions, customs, history, congratulations. Every year at the beginning of spring, the most feminine holiday is celebrated - March 8 or International Women's Day. In many countries, including Russia, this holiday is celebrated at the state level, so it is an official holiday.

March 8, 2018 - International Women's Day dedicated to all women, their role in society, as well as such a wonderful time of the year as spring. On March 8, the United Nations celebrates the International Day for Women's Rights and International Peace.

The date of the holiday is not determined by chance. According to history, the celebration of International Women's Day dates back to 1857. This year, on March 8, the so-called “march of empty pots” of textile industry workers took place. The purpose of this action was to draw society's attention to the infringement of women's rights and the unfair division of people by gender. Women participating in the march advocated better working conditions and higher pay for their work.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, a huge number of various actions were carried out aimed at protecting the rights of women. At these events, demands were made for equal rights for men and women. And in 1910 Clara Zetkin proposed the establishment of International Women's Day. The Russian Empire celebrated International Women's Day for the first time in 1913.

In 1966, March 8 became a public holiday in the USSR. In 1975, according to the decision of the UN, the holiday officially acquired the name International Women's Day.

In modern Russia International Women's Day March 8, 2018 is also an official holiday. This is stated in the Labor Code of the Russian Federation.

Initially International Women's Day had a political connotation. He was associated with the protests of women who want equality to triumph. But a lot has changed over the years. Now International Women's Day on March 8 is a holiday for all women, a holiday of spring, love, warmth, beauty.
Over the years of its existence, International Women's Day on March 8 has acquired many traditions. On this spring holiday, festive concerts, lectures, seminars, flash mobs are held in many cities. They are dedicated to the representatives of the beautiful half of humanity, their huge role in the life of society. Corporate evenings are also held in work teams, and in schools and kindergartens, matinees are held, at which children congratulate their mothers on March 8.

Today it seems to us that this bright holiday, saturated with the first spring sun and warmth, has always existed. And if representatives of the older generation still remember the meaning of the name "International Women's Day", and some have not forgotten the name of the one who came up with March 8, then young people know almost nothing about him. School history lessons of the beginning of the 20th century are remembered, perhaps, by a few. Meanwhile, the history of the origin of the women's holiday is far from being as romantic as we would like. But there is a very specific name behind it, and, in fact, the foundation of this day is the story of the life of one woman, the one who invented the March 8 holiday 100 years ago.

On March 8, 1857, a demonstration was held in New York by women workers of textile and shoe factories, who demanded a reduction in the working day (at that time 16 hours) and better working conditions. And half a century later, the women's holiday will be timed to coincide with this event. The date is clear, but who came up with the holiday on March 8, you ask. So, the year 1857 is also significant because it was then that the daughter Clara was born in the family of a modest rural teacher from Saxony named Eisman.

It is not known how the fate of a smart and respectable girl would have developed if, as a student of a pedagogical educational institution, she had not met the emigrant socialists and had not been carried away by their ideas. Among the participants in the youth circle was her future husband, the Russian Jew Osip Zetkin, who fled to Germany from the persecution of the tsarist authorities. Clara Zetkin joined the Social Democratic Party of Germany, became one of the activists of its left wing. Having shocked her relatives and friends a lot, the girl left her family forever for ideological reasons, for which she received the nickname "wild Clara".

In 1882, the one who later came up with March 8 was forced, following Osip, to emigrate to Paris, where she became the common-law wife of a revolutionary (they never officially got married). In marriage, they had two sons, Maxim and Kostya, and in 1889 Clara's beloved husband died of tuberculosis. In order to somehow survive, a woman writes articles, translates, teaches and even earns money as a laundress. She is active in politics, becoming one of the founders of the Second International. Known as a theorist of the socialist movement in Europe, Clara Zetkin also became famous as a fighter for the rights of women, who sought to provide them with universal suffrage and soften labor laws.

Soon the opportunity arose to return to his native Germany. Here she not only continued her difficult struggle, but also became close to Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg, who became her close friend, but also married the artist Georg Friedrich Zundel, who was 18 years younger than Clara. Years later, a rather unusual union of a revolutionary and a talented painter will fall apart due to a different attitude towards the First World War, and the age difference will play its fatal role. For Clara Zetkin, this will be a serious blow.

Already a middle-aged, but still energetic lady, she is now organizing the Communist Party of Germany. Since 1920, she has been the oldest member of the Reichstag, the head of the International Organization for Relief of Revolutionaries, and one of the leaders of the Comintern. With the coming to power of the Nazi Party of Germany, in 1932, Clara Zetkin emigrated to the USSR, where she soon died at the age of 75.

The history and name of the holiday on March 8

As for the March 8 holiday itself, here it is necessary to mention the International Conference of Socialist Women, which was held on August 27, 1910 in Copenhagen. It is significant that Clara Zetkin made a proposal to establish an international day for the struggle for women's rights. The idea was supported, and starting next year, in many European countries in the spring, annual events were held dedicated to women's upholding of political, economic and social freedoms, as well as the struggle for peace. True, the date of March 8 was fixed only in 1914.

In the UN calendar of memorable dates, the name of the holiday on March 8 sounds like “Day for Women's Rights and International Peace”, and it is not a holiday at all. In all states that still celebrate it, this event is of an exclusively political nature. The status of a holiday and a day off on March 8 was received only in the Soviet Union and already in 1965, turning into a day of honoring all the fair sex. Gradually, it finally lost its ideological connotation, the one who invented the holiday on March 8 was also forgotten, and in most post-Soviet countries it is still celebrated today as a day of spring, beauty and femininity.

Now the celebration of such a wonderful holiday as March 8 is, for the most part, familiar and does not bring any surprise. However, if you remember what the history of the emergence of International Women's Day is, then most modern women should rejoice in a special way. After all, few people remember how hard it was to fight for many of the rights that we now have. But once upon a time, women could not afford to think about something more for themselves. In those distant times, they had neither the right to vote nor work in government institutions. Let's remember everything and figure it out, but what is the meaning of the holiday of March 8?

Gender differences

A woman is a fragile creature by nature, designed to support her man, continue the human race, keep the family hearth and raise children. Of course, since primitive times, the position of ladies in society has changed significantly. A modern woman works on a par with a man, moreover, in all areas: heavy and light industry, science and business, politics and culture. And many of them are very prosperous in this field. However, to achieve the current situation, women had to go through a lot. So let's plunge into the past (when International Women's Day was not yet declared) from the very beginning to the present day and find out how the holiday arose and how it is celebrated in different countries.

The suffering of women in society

For many tens and even hundreds of years, the beautiful half of humanity was oppressed and humiliated both physically and morally. So, almost a third of women were subjected to violence by their partners or criminals: beatings, sexual harassment and other types of abuse. Also, more than 130 million girls have gone through such a disgusting procedure as during which they removed the external genitalia. And only recently have these unfortunates been given the opportunity to be freed from this. Countless women and girls were sold into slavery, including sexual slavery, and were given in marriage at an early age - before the age of 8. If we talk about the labor and political sphere, then the struggle for rights is still going on, since the average salary of women is still less than men's, and they occupy less than a third of managerial posts. In Muslim countries, there are many prohibitions for ladies, explained by religious canons. Thus, gender differences have existed since ancient times and to this day, so it is not surprising that women are so actively fighting for rights on an equal basis with the stronger sex.

origins

If we talk about how International Women's Day appeared, then we need to start talking from the dawn of the human era. Since ancient times, it was believed that a man is a breadwinner, he is the head of the family, and therefore, he must make all decisions, be responsible for his wife and children.

However, over time, this state of affairs ceased to suit women, and they began to actively fight for their rights in all areas of activity. It is believed that International Women's Day began on March 8, 1957, when the so-called "march of empty pots" passed through the central streets of New York. It was held by textile workers, workers of local clothing factories, because of disagreement with their working conditions. With their performance, they wanted to draw attention to themselves, fight for their rights in the working area and achieve their demands: namely, better conditions and higher wages. In this, International Women's Day also had political overtones. After all, women were eager not only for production, they wanted to have the right to vote and their representatives in state institutions and the government. And they achieve this with hard work, albeit gradually. And they can already boast that thanks to their efforts, a bright and joyful International Women's Day has appeared (although the history of the holiday was not so happy).

Holiday symbolism

Despite the fact that there were many other women's protests, the holiday was officially approved and registered by the UN decision only in 1975. However, for millions of beautiful creatures, this March 8, International Women's Day, became their huge victory, and therefore even separated by oceans and thousands of miles of land, ethnic, cultural and political differences now they have a legitimate opportunity to celebrate this delightful day. The holiday has become the personification of justice, equality and courage. And also all those qualities that every woman is endowed with - kindness, tenderness and love. Now this holiday is truly international, and in many countries it is also declared national. And all this is the merit of those brave women who were not afraid to fight for their rights.

modern festivity

In modern society, this holiday is perhaps one of the warmest. On this day, in many countries of the world, women dress up in their best dresses, invent amazing hairstyles, put on spectacular makeup. Husbands bring coffee to bed and organize dinner at a restaurant, suitors give fragrant flowers and delicious sweets, and sons visit their mothers and spend the day with them. It is worth recognizing that International Women's Day is, first of all, a day of attention to all women. Therefore, they simply glow with happiness, congratulate each other, boast of gifts. After all, this is also the small joys of women.

From city institutions

It should be noted that, nevertheless, in most cases, states actively encourage the holding of such a wonderful holiday. Therefore, congratulations on International Women's Day also come from their side, manifesting themselves in large-scale street decorations, beautiful illumination, many concerts and performances. In addition, discounts are announced in theaters and cinemas, and various promotions are offered in clothing stores and even household appliances, and therefore there is a certain shopping boom. But in the field of restaurant business and flower sales, the trend is reversed, it’s no secret that the prices for fragrant buds for beloved ladies and a romantic dinner in a wonderful place on this day are extremely expensive for men, but you can’t do anything for a smile on the faces of beautiful ladies. ..

Festivities

Events for International Women's Day actively delight the population, especially the young. Since the main number of concerts are held on the main streets of cities, a large mass of people accumulate there. People walk, listen to songs and sing along, eat various goodies in local cafes, take pictures, go to parks and entertainment venues. And in educational institutions and various organizations, congratulations to ladies of any age are also held on the last working day before the holiday. So, schools and universities are decorated inside and out, arrange concerts with musical and dance numbers. And men, guys and boys collectively give gifts to their companions, read poems and prose congratulations and pay attention all day long. However, this happens in most European countries and in the post-Soviet space, but how do they celebrate the holiday "International Women's Day" in individual countries?

In Armenia

As we know, in countries such as Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, March 8 is marked with a red number on the calendar, which means that the entire population has a guaranteed day off on this day, and in reality it turns out, on average, about three. Only Armenia can brag to them, where the celebration of International Women's Day has turned into a “month”, which lasts from March 8 and right up to However, they got it after a difficult struggle with gender differences. Here's how it was. The fact is that when Armenia was still part of the USSR, the holiday lasted one day and was a state holiday, but after the collapse of the Union, the new government of the country canceled March 8 and instead announced April 7 and motherhood. Women resisted the changes and achieved the restoration of the previous date, and now Caucasian machos honor Armenian women for a whole month! And this is the best manifestation of justice.

In Turkmenistan, Lithuania, Poland and France

This wonderful holiday was canceled in many other countries after the collapse of the Union. So, in Turkmenistan, it was combined with Navruz, turning it into a general concept of spring and joy, but women still managed to return it, and even hold it again in the year. In Lithuania, it was also excluded and then restored in the list of public holidays, but now it is still celebrated with demonstrations, concerts and other events. In Poland, the celebration of International Women's Day was declared a relic of the socialist system and banned. However, the traditions, fortunately, have been preserved, and the ladies still receive their long-awaited special attention from the male. But in France, on the contrary, although the holiday is present on the calendar, it is celebrated only in communist families, no matter how sad it may be.

In Italy and elsewhere

In countries located closest to the border with Asia, March 8, International Women's Day, is still not so loud and bright, on the contrary, it is treated rather reservedly. And now they only exist, and therefore, alas, congratulations go only to parents and pregnant women. But in Italy, March 8 is radically different. So, if in Russia men give attention and flowers to their women and spend time with them, then in this country the ladies are isolated and celebrate inside the circle exclusively without partners. They consider a sprig of mimosa as the first gift of spring as a symbol of the holiday.

In Asian countries

In Vietnam, the history of the emergence of International Women's Day is also not simple, but later it was combined with another important day for the state - the memory of the Trung sisters, who bravely led the fight against the Chinese invaders more than 2 thousand years ago. Therefore, in this country, in addition to congratulations from men, the presentation of the state is also held. awards from ruling organizations. But in China, this day is rather belittled, since it is believed that this is a holiday of exclusively married women. However, male students still honor the traditions of celebrating March 8 and from the very morning gather under the windows of their girls' dormitories with posters and colorful balloons, publicly shout declarations of love, and gather together at the sites for folk festivals.

Home celebration

Of course, on this wonderful day, all men try to surprise and please their women as much as possible. This is manifested, first of all, in the search for interesting ideas for this event. Most, of course, limit themselves to even standard, but still extremely pleasant things, namely, they wake up their loved ones with a kiss, and bring fragrant beautiful flowers. Then a home celebration is held, guests are invited, a wonderful table with sweets is laid. And in the late afternoon, while the ladies are putting on a marathon, the men put on ironed suits with a shirt and even a tie, take their only ones to a restaurant for dinner, and give long-awaited gifts there.

Holiday Ideas

Those men whose wealth allows them to pay special attention to their lady, of course, arrange real demonstration performances. So, they give their loved ones jewelry, furs, cars and expensive cell phones, post congratulations on city billboards, prepare corporate parties. If the wealth is small, then men act more creatively. So, for example, young guys can put together a real flash mob for their girlfriends or independently set up a romantic dinner at home, as expected, with flowers, candles, where they can show off their culinary skills and give their only ones a rest. But men can safely give their partners various gift certificates, coupons or to beauty salons, shoe and clothing stores, perfumes, spas, massages and other feminine amenities. Fortunately, commercial organizations are actively trying to facilitate the ideas of men by issuing such shares.