The history of the holiday on March 8 is brief. International Women's Day - history and traditions of the holiday
International Women's Day (or International Day for Women's Rights and international peace UN) is celebrated on March 8th.
In a number of countries, International Women's Day March 8 is a national holiday: in China, North Korea, Angola, Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Cambodia, Laos, Mongolia and Uganda.
After the collapse of the USSR, some republics former Union continue to celebrate March 8, some hastened to get rid of the Soviet legacy. In Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Moldova, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Abkhazia, March 8 is still celebrated as International Women's Day.
In Tajikistan, on the initiative of the country's president, since 2009 the holiday began to be called Mother's Day. This day remains a non-working day in Tajikistan.
In Turkmenistan, International Women's Day was not celebrated until 2008 - women's holiday was postponed to March 21 (day spring equinox), connected with Navruz - the national holiday of spring, and was called National holiday spring and women. In January 2008, President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov introduced changes to the Labor Code and
March 8 - "International Women's Day", a holiday of spring and increased attention to a woman. March 8th ours beautiful women They expect tenderness, flowers and gifts from us. This is the tradition of this day. We all look forward to this holiday, we rejoice when it comes, but rarely does anyone delve into its original meaning. Over time, the meaning of the holiday on March 8 disappears completely, and we sometimes ask ourselves the question: what, exactly, and why do we celebrate March 8 on “International Women’s Day”?
Holiday March 8, initially, was not conceived as a day of glorification of the Beautiful Lady, but as a holiday of a revolutionary woman. It was this holiday that the Pravda newspaper at the dawn of the revolution called “the day of the Women’s Workers’ International”, this is the holiday of those women who strived and strive to be equal in rights with men, this is the day of emancipation. Unfortunately, at present the holiday has lost its former historical purpose. Although, in many countries, mass feminist actions still take place on this day, and many women perceive this day as a day of struggle against the stronger sex.
America, or the first women's union
In New York in 1857, on March 8, workers in clothing and shoe factories gathered for a demonstration. Their demands were improved working conditions, shorter working hours, and equal wages to men. In those days, women worked up to 16 hours a day and received pennies for their work. After decisive speeches, the men still managed to achieve the introduction of a 10-hour working day. At that time, trade union organizations began to emerge in many enterprises in the United States. On March 8, 1857, another trade union was formed - and women were its members for the first time. On this day in New York, hundreds of women demonstrated in many cities demanding suffrage.
Clara Zetkin
Europe. The history of the March 8 holiday is traditionally associated with Clara Zetkin. This woman created a revolutionary detachment, which consisted only of women, she decided to include the unstoppable energy of women in the fight against the exploiters. The creation of this detachment was not a matter of one day, but nevertheless it was decided to choose the day that could be considered the Birthday of the “female proletariat”.
In 1910, at the 2nd International Conference of Socialist Women in Copenhagen, at the proposal of Clara Zetkin to establish a “day of struggle for women’s rights,” a resolution was adopted to hold an annual women’s day, “which primarily serves to agitate for the granting of suffrage to women.” rights." This sounded like a call to all women in the world to rise up to fight for equality. In response to this call, many women from different countries are joining the fight against poverty, advocating for the right to work, respect for their dignity, and for peace.
At the suggestion of Elena Grinberg, a member of the Central Committee of the Social Democratic Party, the date of the International women's day was approved on March 19. And it was on March 19 that the first International Women's Day was celebrated in Germany, Austria, Denmark and Switzerland. In 1912, it took place in the same countries, but on May 12. In 1913, due to organizational difficulties, there was complete confusion: in Germany they celebrated March 12, in Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Switzerland, and Holland on March 9, in France and Russia on March 2. But only in 1914, for the first time, International Women's Day was celebrated everywhere on March 8, due to its coincidence with Sunday, in other words, with a non-working day - a day off. So the holiday "International Women's Day" was fixed on this date.
Anti-Semitism... According to the very popular theory of Deacon Andrei Kuraev, the choice of the number belonged to Clara Zetkin, who connected the birth of a new detachment fighting against injustice with the history of the Jewish people. Many centuries ago, Queen Esther, with her cunning, saved the people from destruction. The annual, most joyful Jewish holiday - the holiday of Purim - is dedicated to this woman. It is celebrated at the transition from winter to spring, and in 1909 it was celebrated on the eve of March 8th.
The official position of the Russian Orthodox Church was unambiguously expressed by Alexy II at the end of 1991 in New York at a meeting with American rabbis: “The unity of Judaism and Christianity has a real basis of spiritual and natural kinship and positive religious interests. We are united with the Jews, without renouncing Christianity, not in spite of Christianity, but in the name and power of Christianity, and the Jews are united with us not in spite of Judaism, but in the name and power of true Judaism... The Jewish people are close to us in faith. Your law is our law, your prophets. - these are our prophets. The Ten Commandments of Moses oblige Christians, as well as Jews. We wish to live with you in peace and harmony, so that there is no misunderstanding, hostility and hatred between us."
Purim holiday - " Sibling"Maslenitsa
Purim is not a religious holiday, it is the brother of our Maslenitsa, the European Carnival, the Greek Dionysia (or Bacchanalia), the Bulgarian Kukere, the Persian Novruz-Bayram. This is a holiday in honor of the beating of enemies and dates back to 480 BC, when the Old Testament people, the “stiff-necked” people, with the help of Esther’s cunning, freed themselves from the power of the Persians. The story of Queen Esther is described in detail in the book of the same name, which is part of the Bible.
Queen Esther is revered by our Church along with other Old Testament righteous people on the week of the Forefather (two weeks before the Nativity of Christ).
In Russia
For the first time in Russia, International Women's Day was celebrated in St. Petersburg in 1913. The petition addressed to the mayor stated the organization of “... a scientific morning on women's issue" The authorities gave permission and on March 2, 1913, one and a half thousand people gathered in the building of the Kalashnikov Bread Exchange on Poltavskaya Street. The agenda of the scientific readings included the following issues: the right to vote for women; state provision motherhood; about the high cost of living.
From the first years of Soviet power, March 8 became a public holiday in our country. In March 1917, women in Russia received the right to vote, and the Constitution of 1918 enshrined the policy of equal rights for women as a state policy, and Soviet authorities began to implement it (it may be recalled that the Soviet idea of “gender equality” led to the emergence of such a “purely female "Professions like asphalt paver...).
Gradually International Women's Day lost its political coloring.
Since 1965, this day has become a non-working day. There was also a festive and official ritual: at ceremonial events, the state reported to society on the implementation of state policy towards women.
But during the period of perestroika, many women were literally thrown to the margins of life. The terms appeared: “ woman's face unemployment”, “violence against women”, “male parliament”, “maternal family”, “maternal mortality”, “social orphanhood”, “female alcoholism”. Discrimination against women in the labor market was officially recognized.
At the IV World Conference on Women (Beijing, 1995), the Government Russian Federation finally announced its commitment to eliminating all forms of discrimination against women. In 1996, the Concept for the Advancement of Women and the National Action Plan for the Advancement of Women were adopted. Russian women. Similar documents were adopted in the constituent entities of the Federation. However, neither on March 8, nor on Mother's Day in November, there were any reports on the implementation of these important government documents.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, March 8 remained on the list public holidays Russian Federation. Women's Day is also celebrated in the CIS countries: in Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine as International Women's Day; in Belarus and Uzbekistan as Mother's Day; In Armenia, April 7, Motherhood and Beauty Day is celebrated.
XXI century. Russia
“And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” (Genesis, chapter 1, v. 27). If human society were guided in its development by these words, the need for International Women's Day would not have arisen, since women would not have to prove that they are people too and fight for their human rights.
But, alas, only in the 20th century did humanity, represented by its best representatives, grow to realize this truth, and in 1948 the United Nations adopted a document - the “Universal Declaration of Human Rights”, which says:
Article 1: All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and must act towards each other in a spirit of brotherhood.
Article 2: Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin. , property, class or other status.
The Declaration became the basis on which other international documents were adopted aimed at protecting the social, political, economic and universal rights of women (on September 1, 1985, the governments of 88 countries signed the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women).
But declaring a right and ensuring its implementation are completely different concepts. After all, even today women and children are subjected to violence and humiliation: this is human trafficking, forced prostitution, cruelty shown in armed conflicts and wars. Growing poverty and disregard for human rights are the root causes of violence, and poverty itself is already a form of violence. And as we know, the victims of poverty are primarily women and children.
The twentieth century was marked by socialist, scientific, technical, cultural and sexual revolutions, and one can only regret that in this series there was no place for a spiritual revolution. And without this, all the declarations and calls of the UN, UNESCO and other organizations will remain a voice crying in the wilderness.
Feast of the Myrrh-Bearing Women, or give women flowers not only on March 8th!
The founders of the Soviet state were militant atheists, and were unlikely to be guided by Jewish religious motives when choosing a date for “Women’s Day.” They needed to create their own system of beliefs, rites and rituals as opposed to the Church. Soviet traditions are a parody of spiritual life, a fake, a propaganda dummy. The party instead of the Church, the corpse of a leader instead of the Savior, portraits of leaders instead of icons, party congresses instead of church councils, demonstrations instead of religious processions... Instead of veneration of the Most Pure Mother of God, the lumpen worker-peasant crowd was offered “Women’s Day”, which fit so well into the Soviet calendar . And it’s hard to choose a better time to celebrate than early spring When nature awakens from its winter sleep, the sun begins to shine like spring and the first snowdrop flowers bloom.
Our contemporaries do not think much about the origins of the celebration of March 8, but simply perceive this day as an occasion to give flowers to their dear women. But it is worth remembering and honoring traditions, especially since in Orthodox Church The third Sunday after Easter is dedicated to the memory of the myrrh-bearing women, who on the morning of the Resurrection hurried to the Tomb of Christ and were the first to receive the joyful news of His rising from the dead. And if so, then let us remember that we can congratulate our wives and mothers, sisters and colleagues when the Church glorifies the care and fidelity of the myrrh-bearing women. And even better: let's not forget them on other days! That's why - give gifts and flowers to your beloved women not only on March 8th.
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 March 8 ambiguously indicates that she still had Jewish roots, since on March 8 they celebrate 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, the women of New York did organize a protest, but they were not textile workers, but representatives of the oldest profession who demanded wages for the sailors who used their services, since the latter could not pay 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. IN next year rallies took place in Chicago and New York.
It is noteworthy that Clara Zetkin herself participated in such actions. For example, in 1910, she and her friend took prostitutes onto the streets of Germany demanding to stop 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, they actively protested 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 everyday 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 kind words on this wonderful day. After all, without women, life on Earth would cease to exist!
About the history of the holiday March 8, why exactly March 8 became Women's Day, when and how it was first celebrated holiday March 8. This is a story about the holiday of March 8 for adults and children. Teachers can use materials from this article when developing holiday cool hours and scripts dedicated to March 8th.
Today, almost the entire planet celebrates March 8th as a day of worship a real woman, her beauty, wisdom and femininity that save the world.
From the history of the holiday March 8
This beloved holiday on March 8 dates back to the traditions of Ancient Rome in the 1st century BC. It was believed that the goddess Juno, the wife of the great Jupiter, was endowed with great power and had enormous capabilities. She had many names: Juno-Calendar, Juno-Coin. .. She gave people good weather, harvest, good luck in business and opened every month of the year. But most of all, the Roman women worshiped Juno - Lucia (“the bright one”), who patronized women in general, and during childbirth in particular. She was revered in every home; gifts were brought to her upon marriage and at the birth of a child.
The most joyful holiday for the female half of Rome was March 1, dedicated to this goddess and called the Matrons. Then the whole city was transformed. Festively dressed women walked with wreaths of flowers in their hands to the temple of Juno Lucia. They prayed, brought gifts of flowers and asked their patroness for happiness in the family. It was a holiday not only for respectable Roman women, but also for slaves, whose work on this day was performed by male slaves. On March 1, men gave generous gifts to their wives, relatives and girlfriends, and did not ignore maids and slaves...
IN modern world Women's Day is celebrated on March 8th. The history of this holiday began in the 19th century, and it was dedicated to the day of the struggle for women's rights. It was on March 8, 1857 that a demonstration of women workers in clothing and shoe factories took place in New York. Then they demanded that they be given a ten-hour working day, acceptable working conditions and equal wages with men. Before this, women worked 16 hours a day and received mere pennies for it. After March 8, 1857, women's trade unions began to emerge, and women were given the right to vote for the first time. But only in 1910, at the International Women's Conference of Socialists in Copenhagen, Clara Zetkin proposed celebrating World Women's Day on March 8th. It was a kind of call to women all over the world to join the fight for independence and equality; and they responded by joining the struggle for the right to work, respect for their dignity, and for peace on earth. This holiday was first celebrated in 1911, but only on March 19, in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. Then more than a million men and women took to the streets of these countries, and the demonstration took place under the slogan: “Suffrage for workers - to unite forces in the fight for socialism.” In Russia, International Women's Day was first celebrated in 1913 in St. Petersburg. Its organizers called for achieving economic and political equality for women. One of the most powerful performances by women took place in Petrograd on March 7, 1917. And in 1976, International Women's Day was officially recognized by the UN.
Today March 8 is a holiday of spring and light, a tribute to the traditional role of a woman as a wife, mother, and friend.
Who was the founder of the holidays on March 8: Clara Zetkin or Esther?
Many may have a question: was Clara Zetkin really the only ancestor of March 8? Historians also believe that the celebration of this holiday is associated with the legend of Esther. Many centuries ago, she saved her people from terrible death. Therefore, the most is dedicated to her happy holiday Jewish people - the holiday of Purim. It is celebrated almost at the same time as International Women's Day: at the end of winter - beginning of spring, on March 4.
Once upon a time, in 480 BC, all the Jews captured by the Babylonians gained freedom and could freely return back to Jerusalem. However, there were practically no people willing to leave Babylon, where the Jews spent almost their entire lives. Hundreds of thousands of Jews remained in the Persian Empire, and not at all as a labor force. Many of them managed to get a very good job and earn a good living.
Over time, the Jews became so accustomed to Babylon that even the indigenous inhabitants no longer understood who conquered whom: the Persians Jerusalem or the Jews Babylon. Then one of the ministers of the powerful ruler Xerxes, Haman, came to the king and told him that Jews had invaded their state. Xerxes decided to exterminate all the Jews.
His wife Esther, who hid her ethnic origin from her husband (she was Jewish), accidentally found out about Xerxes’ terrible plan. Clever Esther did not beg the king for mercy, but decided to use Xerxes’ love for herself. When the king was under the influence of her spell, she made him promise to destroy all the enemies of her people. Xerxes agreed to everything, and only some time later he discovered that he had promised his beloved wife to destroy all the enemies of the Jews, but it was no longer possible to retreat...
And on the 13th of Adar (a month in the Jewish calendar: approximately the end of February - the beginning of March), a royal decree regarding pogroms is spread throughout the Persian Empire. But it was radically different from what was originally intended to be created: this decree of Xerxes allowed Esther and her cousin and teacher Mordecai.
“And the king’s scribes were called, and everything was written as Mordecai had ordered to the rulers of one hundred and twenty-seven regions in the name of the king - that the king allows the Jews who are in every city to gather and stand up for their lives, to destroy, to kill and destroy all the mighty in the people and in the region who are at enmity with them, children and wives, and plunder their goods” (Esther 8:8-11). And for two days “all the princes in the regions, and the satraps, and the executors of the king’s affairs supported the Jews. And the Jews slew all their enemies, and destroyed them, and dealt with their enemies according to their own will” (Esther 9:3-5).
Minister Haman, who gave Xerxes the idea of exterminating the Jews, was executed by hanging along with his entire family. During this struggle, about 75 thousand Persians were destroyed. The Persian Empire was practically destroyed. The day of this significant victory for the Jews is still honored and celebrated.
Among the greatest sages, “there is even an opinion that when all the books of the prophets and hagiographers are forgotten, the book of Esther will still not be forgotten, and the holiday of Purim will not cease to be observed.”
Perhaps this legend was true, and Esther actually saved her people. And in gratitude for such a feat, Jews still honor the savior today, celebrating Purim. And everyone understands what the legend about the celebration is world day women also have the right to exist.
International Women's Day is a bright spring holiday that is celebrated annually on March 8 in many countries, including Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Cuba, China, Laos, etc. Every year on March 8, men congratulate all women - wives, mothers, daughters, grandmothers, sisters, girlfriends, colleagues - trying to fill their day with pleasant emotions, high spirits and vivid impressions. In some countries, the significance of International Women's Day is equal to Mother's Day, dedicated to all mothers.
The date of Women's Day is extremely suitable for this holiday: at the beginning of spring, nature awakens after winter sleep and the first flowers adorn the earth. But the origin of the date of the holiday is connected with its centuries-old history.
The history of the holiday
Women's rally in New York on February 28, 1909 All Women's Day has been celebrated for more than a century. The first celebration of this occasion took place on February 28, 1909 in New York and was called National Women's Day. This event was organized by the American Socialist Party in honor of the rally on the same day in 1908 on the streets of New York of 15 thousand women who demanded better working conditions and women's suffrage (i.e. voting on the same terms as men).
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In 1910, at the Copenhagen International Women's Conference, representatives of socialist forces proposed establishing an International Women's Day dedicated to women's solidarity in the fight for their rights. This initiative was unanimously supported by more than a hundred women from 17 countries.
International Women's Day first took place on March 19, 1911 in Europe - Denmark, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Switzerland - where more than a million people took part in demonstrations. In 1913, the date of the holiday was moved to March 8, which has remained unchanged to this day.
Interesting fact: The women chose March 19 to celebrate Women's Day because on this day in 1848, the ruler of Prussia promised to introduce women's suffrage. This reform never took place.
In 1975, the United Nations focused attention on global women's issues by calling on states to hold an International Women's Year. And in 1977, the UN gave March 8 the name “International Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace,” as a result of which the holiday received international status.
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Women's Day in Russia
In Russia, International Women's Day became a mechanism of resistance to the First World War in 1913-1914. This holiday was first held on the last Sunday of the winter of 1913 in the context of a social movement for peace. The following year, women from European countries gathered in the streets to protest against the war situation and show solidarity with other activists.