Who was the first to suggest celebrating March 8th? International Women's Day. March: the official history of the holiday of women, spring and flowers
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, 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.
On March 8, 1894, women of easy virtue demonstrated again, but this time 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, educators, medical workers, journalists, actresses and athletes) wear purple ribbons when they take part in the events on March 8th. As a rule, 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.
Do not skimp on kind words on this wonderful day. After all, without women, life on Earth would cease to exist!
25.02.2015
Spring, mimosas, tulips, the first warm rays of the sun... Such associations most often arise when remembering March 8th. But this holiday initially had nothing to do with spring and the celebration of female beauty. What kind of holiday is this and why is International Women's Day celebrated on March 8?
In the second half of the 19th century, many women had already left home and went to work. But their wages were traditionally several times less than those of their husbands and sons, although they sometimes worked just as long and hard. In addition, almost throughout the world they were deprived of the opportunity to vote, receive higher education, or hold any serious positions. And in general they worked only when necessary. Their lot was hard, unskilled work - domestic servants, maids or factory workers.
Once upon a time in America, women decided to draw public attention to their problems by holding a demonstration called the “March of Empty Pots.” It happened on March 8, 1857. Of course, the demonstration was dispersed (using hoses with cold dirty water), but the representatives of the weaker half of humanity managed to force the authorities to pay attention to themselves. They did not demand anything special; on the contrary, their requests were very modest: a reduction in the 16-hour working day, payment of wages in the same amount as men received, improved working conditions.
Now there is an opinion that there was no such demonstration, but on March 8, 1908, a rally was held in New York, at which women publicly expressed their problems and demands. However, the time when the date of March 8 would turn into a holiday was still far away. And she became such thanks to the initiative not of an American activist, but of the daughter of a German parish school teacher, Clara Zetkin. This purposeful woman with irrepressible energy managed to achieve a revision of the role of women in society. Who knows, maybe if it weren’t for her, beautiful ladies would still be cooking cabbage soup and would consider a successful marriage to be the highest happiness.
Clara received a good pedagogical education, was interested in politics from her youth, attended various clubs and courses, where she met her future husband, Osip Zetkin. Together with her husband, she left for Paris, where both were engaged in illegal political activities. In 1910, the International Women's Conference took place, and it was then that Clara Zetkin proposed that March 8 be considered the date when women around the world would unite in the fight for equality. There is another version regarding the appearance of this holiday, but it is implausible: supposedly Clara Zetkin chose this date because it was on this day that the representative of the Jewish people, Esther, saved her nation from destruction.
In Russia, the holiday has been celebrated since 1913, when one and a half thousand women, with official permission from the authorities, gathered in the building of the grain exchange in St. Petersburg to discuss ways to solve pressing problems: low wages, the possibility of receiving assistance from the state for mothers and children, the opportunity to get an education and work on a par with men. It must be admitted that over the past 100 years, beautiful ladies have achieved a lot. Today they are free to choose - to work or be supported by a spouse, to engage in science or go into big-time sports, and maybe get involved in politics...
And the holiday with acute social overtones has simply turned into a pleasant day off, when men carry women in their arms and give them wonderful gifts. By the way, this holiday is truly international - it is celebrated not only in Russia, but also in China, Guinea Bissau, Angola, Croatia, Montenegro, and Cuba.
March 8 is "International Women's Day", a holiday of spring and increased attention to women. On March 8, our beautiful women 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”?
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 with 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 International Women's Day was approved as 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 inconsistency: 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 it was only in 1914 that International Women's Day was celebrated everywhere for the first time 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 are no misunderstandings, enmity and hatred between us."
Purim holiday - “Sibling brother” of 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 on the week of the Forefathers (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. In a petition addressed to the mayor, it was announced the organization of "... a scientific morning on the 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 Grain Exchange on Poltava Street. The agenda of the scientific readings included the following issues: the right to vote for women; state provision of maternity; 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, the women of Russia received the right to vote, and the Constitution of 1918 consolidated the policy of equal rights for women as a state policy and the Soviet authorities began to implement it (it can be recalled that the Soviet idea of "equality of the sexes" led us to the emergence of such a "purely female "Professions like asphalt paver...).
Gradually International Women's Day lost its political overtones.
Since 1965, this day has become a non-working day. There was also its festive and official ritual: at solemn events, the state reported to society on the implementation of state policy regarding women.
But during the perestroika period, many women were literally thrown to the sidelines of life. Terms appeared: “the female face of 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 of the Russian Federation finally announced its obligations to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women. In 1996, the Concept for the Improvement of the Status of Women and the National Action Plan for the Improvement of the Status of Russian Women were adopted. 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 of public holidays in the 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 had been 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, estate 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 the victims of poverty, as you know, 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 the 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.
International Women's Day is a holiday of warmth, flowers, smiles and male attention. This is the day when, regardless of age, gardens bloom in every girl, woman and grandmother, a day when men envelop you with their attention and warmth. However, despite the fact that we all love March 8, the history of the holiday is not familiar to everyone. His birth was one of the most striking in the political sphere. We can say that this is a rudiment of the Soviet era, and talking about it, we seem to plunge into Soviet times.
March 8 - the history of the holiday
The history of how the March 8 holiday appeared is quite interesting and is connected with the advocacy of women's rights. The first rally took place in New York on March 8, 1857, when women demanded regular working hours, suitable premises for work and equal wages with men. Along with this, they began to create trade union organizations. In almost all cities of New York, women began to go out on demonstrations and strikes, demanding that they be given the right to vote and humane working conditions. And these, one might say, were the first female rebels. Following this, a wave of strikes and rallies swept across the world, and everyone as one demanded that their work be paid and valued.
Who invented the holiday March 8
But still, who invented the holiday March 8? For the first time, the idea of celebrating this day as an event was put forward by Clara Zetkin, and this sounded like an invitation to all women to join the fight for equal rights, for respect for their work and dignity.
How did the holiday March 8 appear?
In Russia in 1917, women took to the streets with the slogan “Bread and Peace”, “Peace and Goodness”, and after 4 days Nicholas II could not withstand such mass pressure and abdicated the throne. The provisional government granted women the right to vote. That day fell on March 8 according to the Gregorian calendar, hence “International Women’s Day” or March 8 – the official name of the holiday. And only in Uzbekistan is it called “Mother’s Day”.
March 8: description of the holiday
Back in the 20th century, International Women's Day was considered the most striking political action, but today its former coloring has been lost; it has become a public holiday, which is celebrated in many countries of the world. But how is it celebrated? Sitting at home on the sofa at the festive table. And this is not enough.
How to celebrate March 8
Nowadays, unfortunately, there are no festive rallies and parades, because life is rapidly moving forward. Perhaps very soon there will be no room left for flowers, gifts and touching confessions. Therefore, it is very important to think about how to celebrate March 8 so that the woman you love is satisfied. You can invite her to a concert of your favorite band, take her to the movies, or have a romantic dinner by candlelight. And, of course, don’t forget about the gift. well and what to give on March 8 to your beloved - this is already a question about her preferences: perfume, flowers, sweets - all this, yes. But remember that the main gift on this day is words of love that are spoken with soul and feeling!
Holiday - March 8 - International Women's Day - especially for the Women's Club Jet Housewives
The entire beautiful half of humanity is looking forward to the whole year. International Women's Day is one of the most beloved holidays.
At first, March 8 had a strong political overtones, since the special date was designated not for celebrations, but for the fight for equality. The history of the holiday dates back to 1857, when the famous “March of the Empty Pots”, the first women's strike, took place in America.
Then strikes broke out again, spontaneously. And then Clara Zetkin, at a congress in Copenhagen, put forward a proposal to declare March 8th International Women's Day, so that all women on the planet who zealously stand up for their rights could be legally heard on this day. Since then, the name of Clara Zetkin has been inextricably linked with the holiday of spring and beauty, despite the strong politicization of the chosen date.
The creation of International Women's Day was preceded by numerous women's strikes
This version of the origin of the holiday is the most correct today, although there are others. Scientists, linguists, and historians are still arguing about the origin of women's favorite day off.
But, the church is absolutely sure that the holiday of a revolutionary woman is not needed in our country, where the church was oppressed, if not completely crushed, by scientific atheism. The church put forward the idea of celebrating Women's Day in the third week of Easter, however, March 8 still stood.
And in 1966, by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, the date became officially confirmed and acquired the state status of a “weekend” day. And after the collapse of the UNION, March 8 remained among the official ones. Not every holiday has retained such privileges, however, International Women's Day has endured, as if to confirm the glory of women's resilience and strength.
Ideologists of the creation of International Women's Day - Clara Zetkin and Rosa Luxemburg
Today, few people remember and reflect on the origin of the holiday and its rich history. On March 8, the world turns into a fragrant garden, as every man strives to bestow his beloved with a bouquet of flowers, gifts and warm words.
It is customary for work teams to organize corporate parties on this day, set tables and congratulate beautiful ladies on the holiday of Spring, Beauty and Tenderness. The management usually writes out bonuses for the heroes of the occasion.
Almost all cities are preparing festive events, concerts, performances, exhibitions, sales, and promotions. Congratulations, favorite songs and films, interviews with famous women and top officials of the state are constantly heard on radio and television.
The political meaning of the holiday has long ago exhausted itself, however, and today there are feminist groups and detachments that organize various kinds of demonstrations and processions on March 8, trying to attract attention to themselves in order to publicly declare their problems.
Most women prefer to spend the holiday with their family, exchanging congratulations with each other, basking in the tenderness of men who on this day make a lot of effort to become an ideal husband, father, son, brother, even for a day.
