Residents 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 of remembrance for the Trung sisters, who fought bravely against China's invasion of Vietnam and died bravely in battle. Now this holiday symbolizes the struggle of women for their rights.
Italy
Life-loving Italians played up “women’s independence” in their own way: every year senors and senoritas different ages They have bachelorette parties. Men are strictly prohibited from attending such parties. Celebrations begin in bars with light cocktails, after which women's groups move to various clubs, many of which admit girls 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 a partial holiday. Partly because only women rest on this day. For many ladies this A good reason meet friends, have get-togethers, go shopping and just take a break from the daily routine of work. Husbands traditionally greet their wives with a prepared dinner, the so-called “chastity 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 family circle or congratulating women at work. For many couples this is also good opportunity arrange a romantic dinner.
France
In France, it is not customary to celebrate March 8 loudly, except among certain political trends. However, on this day, special shopping events are held throughout the country 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 given an official holiday, but men do not forget about congratulations and give gifts. At the flower markets, which are also preparing for the holiday, spring flowers appear in abundance and are quickly sold out.
Nepal
In Nepal, March 8 is officially a day off - although 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 against women in the country.
Many Russian holidays over time they lose their significance. Some cease to exist. And only March 8 is still expected and revered in Russia, as in many other countries. True, traditions tend to change, but how can it become unnecessary reason– congratulate your beloved women on the spring holiday?
Everyone knows how this day is celebrated in Russia (we celebrate any holidays on a grand scale). How are women congratulated in other countries?
- Japan
In this country, girls were “given” almost the entire month of March. Of the main women's holidays It is worth noting the Festival of Dolls, Girls (March 3) and Peach Blossoms. Almost no attention is paid to March 8th itself - the Japanese give preference to their traditions.
IN holidays rooms are decorated with balls of flowers tangerine trees and cherries, puppet shows begin, girls dress up in elegant kimonos, they are treated to sweets and given gifts. - Greece
Women's Day in this country is called "Ginaicracy" and is celebrated on January 8th. In the northern region of the country, a women's festival is held, spouses change roles - women go on vacation, and men give them gifts and temporarily turn into caring housewives. March 8th in Greece is a very ordinary day. Except that in the media they remember him with a couple of phrases about the endless struggle of women for their rights. Instead of March 8, Greece celebrates Mother's Day (2nd Sunday in May). And then - purely symbolically, to express respect for main woman in family. - India
On March 8th, this country celebrates a completely different holiday. Namely, Holi or the Festival of Colors. Festive bonfires are lit in the country, people dance and sing songs, everyone (regardless of class and caste) pours water tinted with colored powders on each other and has fun.
Concerning " women's day", it is celebrated by the people of India in October and lasts about 10 days. - Serbia
Here, on March 8th, no one is given a day off and women are not celebrated. Of the women's holidays in the country, there is only “Mother's Day,” celebrated before Christmas. - China
In this country, March 8 is also not a holiday. They don’t buy flowers by the carload, and they don’t hold noisy events. IN women's groups Women's Day is given significance solely from the point of view of “emancipation”, paying tribute to the symbol of equality with men. Young Chinese treat the holiday with more sympathy than the “old guard”, and even give gifts with pleasure, but the Chinese Spring Festival remains the holiday for the Celestial Empire. New Year(one of the most important holidays). - Turkmenistan
The role of women in this country is traditionally great and significant. True, in 2001, March 8 was replaced by Niyazov with Navruz Bayram (the holiday of women and spring, March 21-22).
But after a temporary break, March 8 was returned to residents (in 2008), officially enshrining Women's Day in the Code. - Italy
The attitude of Italians towards March 8 is more loyal than, for example, that of Lithuania, although the scale of the celebration is far from the celebration in Russia. Italians celebrate Women's Day everywhere, but not officially - this day is not a day off. The meaning of the holiday has remained unchanged - the struggle of the fair half of humanity for equality with men.
The symbol is also the same - a modest mimosa sprig. Italian men limit themselves to such branches on March 8 (it is not customary to give gifts on this day). Actually, men do not take part in the celebration itself either - they only pay the bills of their halves for restaurants, cafes and strip bars. - Poland and Bulgaria
The tradition of congratulating the fairer sex on March 8th is, of course, remembered in these countries, but noisy parties are not thrown and gorgeous bouquets the fair sex is not neglected. March 8 is a regular working day here, and for some it’s even a relic of the past. The rest celebrate modestly and give symbolic gifts and scatter compliments. - Lithuania
In this country, March 8 was removed from the list of holidays in 1997 by conservatives. Women's Solidarity Day became an official holiday again only in 2002 - it is considered a Spring holiday, festivals and concerts are held in its honor, thanks to it, guests of the country spend unforgettable spring weekends in Lithuania.
It cannot be said that the entire population of the country happily celebrates March 8 - some do not celebrate it at all due to certain associations, others simply do not see the point in it, and still others consider this day as an additional rest. - England
Ladies from this country, unfortunately, are deprived of attention on March 8th. The holiday is not officially celebrated, no one gives flowers to anyone, and the British themselves categorically do not understand the point of honoring women just because they are women. Women's Day for the British replaces Mother's Day, celebrated 3 weeks before Easter. - Vietnam
In this country, March 8th is quite official holiday. Moreover, the holiday is very ancient and has been celebrated for more than two thousand years in honor of the Trung sisters, brave girls who opposed the Chinese aggressors.
On International Women's Day, this Day of Remembrance flowed after the victory in the country of socialism. - Germany
As in Poland, for Germans March 8 is an ordinary day, traditionally a working day. Even after the reunification of the GDR and the Federal Republic of Germany, the holiday, which was celebrated in East Germany, did not take root in the calendar. German frau have the opportunity to relax, shift worries to men and enjoy gifts only on Mother’s Day (in May). The picture is approximately the same in France. - Tajikistan
Here, March 8 is officially declared Mother's Day and is marked as a day off.
It is mothers who are honored and congratulated on this day, showing their respect through actions, flowers and gifts.
DAY AFTER TOMORROW Not only Russia, but the whole world will celebrate International Women's Day. Celebration of March 8th 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 remain almost unnoticed. However, it was not always like this. Let's figure out how International Women's Day came about, why today March 8 is perceived differently than a hundred years ago, and how you can celebrate it.
Daria Tatarkova
Has March 8 always happened?
"women's holiday"?
Yes and no. The two main gender-specific holidays were inherited from Soviet times in modern Russia. February 23 and March 8 were not as clear-cut at the time of their occurrence. It was invented to celebrate the 23rd in 1922 as the Day of the Red Army and Navy; over time, the name was changed twice, and those celebrating quite deviated from the essence. Instead of honoring military personnel, February 23rd gradually became a day celebrating all men and the idea of masculinity. March 8 has a similar fate. Invented as a symbol of the struggle for gender equality and respect for women’s work, the holiday became just an excuse to give a woman a gift one more time a year, except for her birthday. In modern folklore, the essence of International Women’s Day is fully expressed by the phrase “be silent, 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 it appeared
International Women's Day?
The date was invented by the socialist movement. In February 1909, women in New York took to the streets to demand equal pay and women's right to vote - amazingly, a century later, the issue of wages remains open. German socialists and the notorious communist Clara Zetkin together with Rosa Luxemburg in next year At the Women's Conference, they agreed that a holiday was needed that would promote equal rights for women, including suffragist 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), a strike of textile workers and a subsequent organized march demanding equal rights for women became one of the triggers for a further wave of protests that led to the February Revolution. Coinciding in date with one of the most important turning points In the history of Russia, the holiday as a tradition became stronger in the USSR. Until about the 70s, March 8 was primarily associated with the participants of the revolution and their successful struggle for women's independence. One way or another, the history of the holiday in the West and in Russia shows that, first of all, it was invented as a tool for emancipation and popularization of respect for women.
Why is it customary to give gifts on this day in Russia?
and not strike for equal pay?
History is silent about when and why processions and demonstrations were replaced by the current candy and bouquet tradition of celebrating March 8th. Some authors believe that the reason for this was the conscious and consistent policy of the Soviet leadership. Already in the 30s, the much-needed women's departments involved in agitation, education, assistance and the fight for women's rights were abolished. Thus, women lost the social elevator, and did not reach new heights in equality. Subsequent women's organizations were largely nominal in nature. Gradually, revolutionary themes disappeared even from postcards, and the emphasis shifted to chanting female beauty and motherhood, making the holiday more like Mother's Day in other countries.
In 1966, under Brezhnev, March 8 became a day off, so 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 also noticeable in traditional gifts, and according to the description of International Women's Day on the Russian-language Internet. According to Levada Center, the most popular in Russia
Gifts for March 8th include 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 positive dynamics in relation to equality - the number of people 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 indicated.
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 8th is not considered public holiday, however, every year it is gaining more and more popularity, while maintaining a feminist slant. The main popularizer of the date today is the UN. In 1977, the United Nations invited member countries to choose any day to celebrate ideas women's equality and world peace, it became March 8th.
Countries that support the UN primarily use the holiday as an occasion to raise social issues important to women. From year to year, the UN chooses a priority topic on which efforts will be directed. In 2013 it was opposition to violence against women, last year it was “Equality for women - progress for all.” In 2015 - “Inspiring Women - Inspiring Humanity.” The symbol of the holiday is a purple ribbon.
As noted
March 8th this year?
The topic of this year goes by with the hashtag #MakeItHappen. 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 victims of violence who are not protected by either the law or society. Many publications focus on remembering the origins of the date and suggest commemorating it not with flowers, but with a call to action and drawing attention to, for example, key health issues and courageous feminists in world history. Forbes explains the real pay gap between men and women and gives advice on how each can improve the situation. Among other things
The #UpForSchool petition will launch on March 8th, aiming to pressure 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 part of the world's popular culture. Since 2000, the number of Google queries in the format “International Women’s Day + this year" increased 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 encouraging messages to their teenage selves from the past. This perhaps naive approach found a huge response from the audience, and girls from all over the world wrote grateful comments for moral support. The hashtag became number one on the service. Many YouTubers simply focus on gender role themed videos, like Kristen from Stuff Mom Never Told You. Be sure to check it out sketch about “gender rolls” - for funny game hidden within the words is a clear and relevant message that it is time to stop imposing behavioral patterns on us based on our biological sex. Social networks the matter, of course, does not end there. Internet darling and UN Women's Rights Envoy Emma Watson, for example, will host a Q&A on International Women's Day and answer all viewers' questions about sexism and inequality. By the way, here's great way celebrate.
Women, then, have
meaningful holiday,
But what about men?
What other days are they celebrated?
important events for women?
The UN actively promotes March 8th 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 honor the memory of 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 about 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 Women's Day on August 9, and at the state level. The date is intended to commemorate the struggle of local activists against the tyranny of the apartheid-era government. Thus, on August 9, 1956, they prevented the introduction of compulsory passporting for South African women.
If earlier March 8 was used as a real opportunity to remind about gender equality, today it is a holiday of spring and female beauty.
In 1910, in Copenhagen, the leader of the women's representative office of the Social Democratic Party of Germany, Clara Zetkin, put forward the idea of an annual celebration throughout the world of International Women's Day - March 8th. Communist ideology was aimed at crowding out popular and church holidays, used International Women's Day to achieve the goal. But the holiday received official status only in 1975.
In which countries and how is March 8 celebrated?
In the post-Soviet countries, March 8 is celebrated on a grand scale. In Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, this day is a day off. Representatives of the fairer sex are congratulated with flowers and gifts.
Each country has its own characteristics. For example, in Kazakhstan it is customary to congratulate the mother first of all; in Turkmenistan, those working at state enterprises and pensioners are presented with state gifts in the form of cash bonuses.
At the state level, March 8 is celebrated in Vietnam. On this day, women have been honored in the country for more than 2 thousand years.
It used to be called Chang Sisters Memorial Day. The girls took part in the Vietnamese liberation movement against China. In order not to surrender, they drowned themselves in the river. After the victory of socialism, the feat of the Chang sisters is remembered annually on March 8.
The spirit of freedom is in the air in Cuba, those who have been there are sure. Cubans remember the feat of revolutionary Marianna Grajales. Since 1959, every Cuban family has decided to express respect for their mother, grandmother, and sister. There are festivals and exhibitions dedicated to women in Cuba.
Italy. The country has never been a member of the socialist camp, but March 8 in Italy is considered to be Women's Day. For several decades, the symbol has been a mimosa branch, which is customary to give to every lady. Traditionally, they gather in noisy groups and have a kind of bachelorette party. In Rome you can even watch male striptease for free. Some places of entertainment are closed to men; they are only allowed to pay the girls' bill.
It is not officially celebrated in Bulgaria and Poland; here it is a regular working day. Nevertheless, women are still congratulated, given gifts, corporate parties and noisy home feasts are held.
Where March 8th is not celebrated
Germany. It was celebrated from time to time, but today the holiday is considered a relic of the socialist past. In addition, if in East Germany they celebrated, then in Western Germany they never did. After the unification of the country, this day is rarely remembered, and therefore there is no day off. But some employers still allow female employees to leave work early. IN modern Germany Ladies are honored on Mother's Day, which is celebrated annually in May.
France. International Women's Day is remembered here in the media, but nothing more. Members of communist movements celebrate it in narrow circle. Most French, as in Germany, honor the fair sex on Mother's Day, and congratulate unmarried ladies on February 14, Valentine's Day.
Lithuania. The attitude towards the holiday is ambiguous. Today it is called the International Day of Women's Solidarity and it is a tribute to love and respect for women. Lithuanians view the celebration differently: some consider it a spring awakening and are convinced of the need for celebration, others - a memory of the Soviet era.
China. In the largest communist country in the world, “Women's Day” is not celebrated. The Chinese do not give cut flowers either. Therefore, if a man is seen in Beijing on this day with a bouquet in his hands, this marks him as a European, a resident of the countries of the post-Soviet space. Those who remember International Women's Day present small cakes or perform original acts instead of flowers.
Japan. In the country rising sun women celebrate "their" day twice: March 3 - Hina Matsuri or girls' day, March 14 - "White Day". On White Day, only those women who congratulated a man on February 14 receive gifts. March 8th is celebrated as “Mimosa Day” - not an official holiday, during which problems of inequality and discrimination are discussed. In Japanese theaters you can watch plays about women warriors.
USA. Various rallies and demonstrations are taking place in America. This is associated with the events of a century ago, when factory workers took to the streets of New York to defend their rights. In the United States, various feminist organizations discuss issues of gender equality. A few years ago, New York feminists staged a campaign with women's panties: 150 pairs different sizes cut and hung on a rope in the form of flags. According to the authors, the installation was supposed to demonstrate the unlimited possibilities of women.
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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 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 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. In the early 20th century, European women protested vigorously to gain 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) put on ribbons purple when they take 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, cities are organizing official events on March 8th. In Moscow, a festive concert is held annually in the Kremlin.
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 full difficulty 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 nice words on this wonderful day. After all, without women, life on Earth would cease to exist!