International Women's Day 8 March. The real story of "March 8" - read who does not know! Days of honoring women in different countries

Not only great Russia, but the whole world unanimously celebrates International Women's Day on March 8. In modern society, this holiday is associated with flowers, gifts and an extra day off. Meanwhile, the original social and political meanings are simply ignored. The history of Women's Day is gradually forgotten and lost in decades. But it was not always so! The root causes of the legal approval of the date are far from today's interpretation. Read more about official and minor theories. And then - briefly acquaint the children with the origin of the holiday on March 8: the story in an accessible interpretation will surely interest both junior schoolchildren and high school students.

March 8: the official history of the origin of the holiday of women, spring and flowers

According to the official version of the SRSR, the history of the emergence of March 8 is associated with the legendary "march of empty pots" held by textile workers in New York City in 1857. Women zealously protested against inhuman working conditions, low wages and limited rights in society. This phenomenon has been repeated many times. And in 1910, a German communist spoke at a forum demanding the establishment of an International Women's Day. Clara Zetkin meant by this not today's celebration with gifts and flowers, but a mass event on March 8 for women to hold annual rallies, strikes, processions. It was in this way that the then working women of the weaker sex could openly express their dissatisfaction with the harsh living and working conditions.

The original name of the calendar holiday sounded like "International Day of Women's Solidarity in the Struggle for Their Rights", and the date was chosen as the day of the "Empty Pot March". The event was brought to the territory of the USSR by a friend of a German communist, Alexandra Kolontai. And since 1921, the holiday has become legal in our open spaces. This is the official history of the origin of the holiday of women, spring and flowers on March 8th. But there are several other theories that have slightly unusual overtones.

Other versions of the history of the holiday on March 8

One of the minor versions of the origin of the holiday on March 8 implies the praise of the Jewish queen by the Jews. It is not known for certain whether Clara Zetkin was Jewish, but her desire to associate International Women's Day with Purim does not ambiguously hint that she was. Although the date of the Jewish celebration is movable, in 1910 it fell on March 8th.

The third theory of the emergence of March 8, as a holiday for the protection of working women, will probably not be very popular with today's representatives of the fair sex, who are used to associating the celebration with bright and good things. According to the scandalous version, in 1857 there really was a protest in New York. But it was not the textile workers who conducted it, but the representatives of the most ancient profession. They massively advocated the payment of salaries to sailors who did not have the opportunity to pay for the services rendered by women. In 1894, prostitutes repeated their protest, demanding that their rights be recognized as equal to confectioners, seamstresses, cleaners, etc. Yes, and Clara Zetkin herself with Rosa Luxembourg more than once took those same madams to the streets of the city, fighting the excesses of the police.

Where did the holiday on March 8 come from: a short history of occurrence

Most likely, March 8 is an ordinary political action of the Social Democrats. In the early 20th century, women protested throughout Europe. And to attract attention, they did not need to do any supernatural actions. There is enough activity at rallies and strikes, bright posters and loud socialist slogans to attract the public. What actually used the leaders of the Social Democrats. That is, they simply enlisted the support of the broad masses of the female population. Similarly, Stalin increased his popularity by signing an official decree on International Women's Day. Such a short story about where the holiday of March 8 came from is not necessarily true from beginning to end, but has its place in many publications and printed documentaries.

The evolution of the March 8 holiday: from rallies and strikes to flowers and gifts

History is silent about when demonstrations and processions were replaced by the spring candy-flower tradition, but the evolution of March 8 is obvious. According to some historians, this process was the result of a deliberate policy of the Soviet leadership. Others are sure that the International Day naturally took on the shape of the celebration of Mother's Day, and any revolutionary hints of themselves disappeared not only from banners, but even from greeting cards.

Even under Brezhnev (in 1966), March 8 officially became a day off, so the active idea of ​​such a date went out completely. Over time, the holiday turned into a day of stereotypes about women. This is served literally in everything: in the selection of gifts for March 8 in congratulatory words, etc.

History of International Women's Day March 8 for children

But how to correctly present to children the difficult story of March 8, as International Women's Day? Surely not every child will find interesting stories about the famous activist Clara Zetkin and working women with infringed rights. But a small lecture on love and respect for mother, sister, grandmother and even a neighbor will definitely appeal to schoolchildren. Indeed, despite the fact that today's attitude towards women and their rights is quite respectful, decades ago the freedoms of the fair sex were much more modest.

When telling the story of International Women's Day on March 8 to children, it is worth reminding all boys that girls are weak and defenseless creatures. Therefore, every self-respecting man should appreciate and protect them, starting from the school bench and ending with a respectable age. And in order to lift the curtain on the origin and evolution of the bright spring holiday for children, you can demonstrate an informative video lesson on a given topic.

Video lesson on the history of March 8 for children

An amazing holiday on March 8: the history of its origin is quite deep, and the path of development is long and thorny. The emergence of International Women's Day has led to tremendous changes in dozens of states, including Russia. One way or another, but the history of the formation of March 8, at least briefly, should be known not only by adults, but also by children.

For modern residents, the holiday of March 8 is associated with women, spring, kindness and beauty. On this day, everyone is in a hurry to congratulate not only mothers, grandmothers, daughters, ...

For modern residents, the holiday of March 8 is associated with women, spring, kindness and beauty. On this day, everyone is in a hurry to congratulate not only mothers, grandmothers, daughters, sisters, but absolutely all the fair sex. Now, few people know that this tradition appeared more than a century ago, and the holiday was associated more with political actions, in which women were participants, than with the admiration of ladies.

At first, only socialist countries celebrated March 8, but since 1977 this day has become a day off in many states. Women's Day is celebrated in the countries of the former USSR, near and far abroad.

The history of March 8 as a women's holiday

There are two versions of the recognition of March 8 as Women's Day. In the first and second cases, this holiday is associated with the name of the famous communist and politician Clara Zetkin. Initially, it was given the name "Day of Solidarity of Working Women in the Struggle for Equality of Rights and Emancipation", and it was recorded as "International Day of Struggle for Women's Rights and International Peace".

Version #1

On March 8, 1908, a rally was held in New York, the main participants of which were women. Their main demand was the recognition of the equality of the representatives of the weaker sex with the strong half of humanity. Thousands of women took to the streets with slogans about the need to give them the opportunity to participate in elections, to receive remuneration for their work on an equal basis with men, and to reduce the working day.

The Socialist Party of America a year later announced the recognition of one day of the year as a national women's holiday. This holiday was celebrated for three years every last Sunday of February. The idea of ​​celebrating Women's Day on March 8 belongs to Clara Zetkin, which she expressed at the Second International Women's Conference in 1910. It was difficult to call March 8 a holiday in those days. The main purpose of highlighting this day was to provide women with the opportunity to express their opinions during rallies and parades. Clara Zetkin insisted that women of all countries should do this on the same day, namely March 8th.

Since that time, March 8 has officially become officially recognized and approved as the day when women can call on the authorities to solve the accumulated problems through demonstrations. However, this idea was not accepted by all the countries participating in the conference. In 1914, for the first time, six countries, including Russia, celebrated March 8 as a holiday.

March 8 was recognized as a day off only in 1965. Since 1977, they have been celebrating “Women's” Day without a political connotation. Today, March 8 has become the day of women, spring and beauty.

Version #2

Another version of the choice of March 8 as Women's Day is associated with Jewish legend and the holiday of Purim. The heroine of the story is the wife of the Persian king Xerxes - Esther, who was able to charm him and save her people from extermination. Esther was Jewish by nationality, and it was this nation that Xerxes planned to destroy, who became the victim of a conspiracy. The woman took advantage of the fact that the king, under the influence of love for her, could obey her in everything. According to legend, the order to spare the Jews was issued on the 13th of Adar.

In the year of the women's conference (1910), this day fell exactly on March 8. In addition, there are mentions of a holiday dedicated to women in the history of Ancient Rome. There are quite a lot of coincidences when such days, translated into our time, fall precisely on March 8.

Which of the versions was the true reason for choosing March 8 to celebrate Women's Day is not known. There is also no consensus among historians. However, from a political point of view, this holiday appeared thanks to the idea of ​​Clara Zetkin, which arose against the backdrop of previous events related to women defending their rights and interests.

Favorite international women's day March 8 history of the holiday

International Women's Day - March 8 - the history of the holiday is very ambiguous. Every year, all women of the country accept congratulations from the stronger sex, relatives and colleagues. But why this date was chosen for the celebration, not everyone knows, so it will be interesting to get acquainted with the history of the famous international holiday and find out how it appeared and why men are so eager to congratulate women on this day. Today, almost all over the planet accept congratulations on International Women's Day.

When was March 8 first celebrated

Why does International Women's Day fall specifically on the eighth day of the third month of the year? The holiday itself originated in ancient Rome in ancient times. Then it was believed that the wife of Jupiter has all the privileges of power over a man and great opportunities, so many women and men worshiped and prayed to the goddess. They called the goddess in different ways: Juno-Calendar, Juno-Coin and so on. In her power was good weather, generous harvests of land, she gave her blessing to the needy, and also opened every month of the year. They worshiped Juno Lucius (“bright”), the patroness of the beautiful half, namely the Romans. Moreover, the goddess was especially honored before childbirth, so that the child was born healthy, and the mother endured the process as easily as possible. She was revered in every home, prayers and gifts to the goddess were traditional at every marriage and the birth of children.

Celebrations in honor of the goddess, which were called Matrons, were traditionally performed on the first day of spring. It was then that all of Rome shone with festive lights and colors, there was a class hour. Ladies, dressed in traditional clothes, made processions to the temple of Juno Lucius. Prayers for the most intimate took place there, requests for help were heard, statues of the deity were presented with flowers and gifts - this was supposed to give happiness and peace. Moreover, even slaves were allowed to pray, and their work was performed by the male sex. Husbands on the 1st gave presents to their beloved women, presented gifts and congratulations to the entire female sex in kinship and even servants, all beautiful ladies were allowed to celebrate.

Why is this number?

Today, this holiday is already celebrated on March 8. This happened due to a series of events in the 19th century, which coincided with the struggle of the fair sex for their rights. In 1857, a rally of women working as seamstresses in factories was held in New York. Their demands were: to organize a 10-hour working day, feasible work and the same salary as men. After all, before that, the women's working day lasted 16 hours, while the payment was a penny. After that, on March 8, women opened their trade unions, and also from 1985 they were allowed to vote.

But only in 1910 did the famous Clara Zetkin speak at the International Women's Socialist Meeting in Copenhagen with a proposal to celebrate the International Women's Day on March 8th. Thus, the political activist called on women from all over the planet to fight for independence and equality; and those joined the struggle for labor rights, for self-respect, equality with men and peace on earth. Although the holiday was first canceled in 1911, but already on March 19 of the following year, women began to receive congratulations in countries such as Austria, Germany and Switzerland. Then the manifesto was held by both men and women as a sign of the struggle for socialism. As for the post-Soviet space, the first holiday dedicated to the International Women's Day on March 8 was held in 1913 in St. Petersburg. Its organizers celebrated the achievement of equal rights for women in the economic and political spheres.

Today, March 8, is International Women's Day, when they celebrate the beginning of spring, and also glorify women and show respect for them as wives, mothers and girlfriends.

Who laid the foundation for the celebration of March 8: a biblical activist or working women?

Some, of course, are more accustomed to considering the founder of March 8 to be a member of the German and international communist movement Clara Zetkin. But historians have proven that the holiday began since the time of the legend of Esther. A few centuries ago, a biblical figure saved the entire Jewish people. It is with her achievements that the famous Jewish holiday called Purim is associated. It is customary to celebrate it a little earlier than International Women's Day, namely on March 4, at the very beginning of spring.

Back in 480 BC. all Jews captured by the Babylonians were released and allowed to safely return to their native Jerusalem. Although, as it turned out, not everyone who was accustomed to life in Susa wanted to leave Babylon. Some of them treated the Persians as practically equal citizens. Most of them adapted well and led a sufficient ordinary life.

As time passed, the Jews finally managed to take root in Babylon. As a result, even the indigenous people sometimes confused which of the peoples was the conqueror and which was the conquered. Then one of the ministers, Aman, came up with the idea to inspire King Xerxes with the idea of ​​filling the state with Jews. Xerxes reacted to such a statement with a decree on the extermination of all the local representatives of the Jewish people.

The terrible plan of the king was not to the liking of his wife Esther, who all her life tried in every possible way to hide her ethnic roots from her husband (the queen was a representative of the Jewish people). Wise Esther came up with the idea to act on Xerxes not with prayers, but with love for herself. Under the influence of the charm of his beloved wife, the King changed his mind to the extermination of the enemies of the Jewish people.

And on Adar 13 (according to the Jewish calendar, the time of the end of this February - the beginning of March), the decree of the king was distributed throughout the empire of the Persian people with new conditions. Now the queen and her brother Mordecai were in charge.

Minister Haman, who came up with the idea to turn Xerxes against the Jewish people and the execution of all its representatives, was executed along with all members of his family. And the struggle of the Jewish people with ill-wishers ended with the extermination of 75 thousand Persians. There is practically nothing left of the Persian Empire as such, so Jews from all over the world to this day celebrate the significant events of the past victories of the people in Babylon.

Some of the greatest sages claim that no matter how many centuries pass, even after the disappearance of the books about Esther, the Purim holiday will not be forgotten and will be revered by the Jews for a very long time.

Of course, many believe in the veracity of the legend of the salvation of the Jewish people by the beautiful and wise Esther. And in honor of her brave and righteous deeds, a holiday so revered by the Jews is celebrated, which may have become the beginning of the celebration of the international women's holiday, on the afternoon of March 8th.

Which of all the events listed above became fundamental in acquiring the world of such a holiday as Women's Day is still not known for certain. The opinions of all scientists were divided. But the fact that many women are grateful to the creator of this truly great holiday remains unchanged. They gladly accept congratulations and strive to celebrate it.

International Women's Day 2020 is celebrated on March 8th. In many countries, this holiday is held at the state level and is an official holiday. It is dedicated to the beginning of spring, femininity and the role of the fair sex in society. Every year, the United Nations celebrates the International Day for Women's Rights and International Peace on this day.

The content of the article

history of the holiday

The history of the event dates back to March 8, 1857, when the “march of empty pots” of textile workers took place in New York. With their action, they drew public attention to the infringement of rights based on gender. The participants of the march called for better working conditions and wages.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, numerous actions were held in defense of the rights of the fairer sex. During the events, demands were made for equality of women's and men's rights and a reduction in the length of the working day. In 1910, Clara Zetkin proposed the establishment of International Women's Day. In the Russian Empire, the holiday was first celebrated in 1913.

March 8 (February 23 old style) 1917 in Petrograd (now St. Petersburg) textile workers went on strike. They demanded equality with men. This event was the beginning of the February Revolution, which led to the overthrow of the monarchy.

In 1966, March 8 became a non-working day in the USSR. In 1975, by decision of the UN, the holiday acquired the official status of International Women's Day.

In Russia, the status of March 8 as a non-working holiday is fixed by Art. 112 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation of December 30, 2001

Since the first protests for women's equality, the holiday has lost its political overtones every year and has become a day when all women are honored.

Traditions and rituals of the holiday

On International Women's Day, parades, conferences, and exhibitions dedicated to women's rights are held. Feminist movements organize events that highlight the problems of gender inequality in society, domestic violence, and low wages.

On March 8, it is customary to give women gifts, cards, chocolates and the first spring flowers: snowdrops, tulips, daffodils. On this holiday, men take on women's duties, do housework, show care and attention to the fair sex. In educational and working groups, matinees and corporate parties are arranged. On this day, festive concerts and show programs with the participation of pop stars are held.

Gifts

March 8 is an excellent occasion to show attention and please a dear and close woman, girlfriend, colleague with an interesting surprise. A gift for International Women's Day should emphasize beauty, individuality and femininity. When choosing it, you need to take into account the interests and preferences of the lady.

Games and contests

Matinees in kindergartens and schools, corporate events, parties in clubs dedicated to International Women's Day cannot do without an entertainment program. Games and competitions help to cheer up and evoke pleasant emotions among the guests of the holiday. They give the participants the opportunity to show ingenuity, resourcefulness, and a sense of humor.

Signs and beliefs

• Thick fog on March 8 portends a rainy summer.
• Tits sing loudly - to warm weather.
• Flowers received from a stranger on March 8 portend great love.
• A girl who spends this holiday with her friends will not be able to get married next year.
• If a girl does not play a wedding before March 8, she will sit in girls until late autumn.

Holiday traditions around the world

Each country has its own traditions and features of International Women's Day.

Italy. In Italy, March 8 is a popular and beloved holiday. It is not a day off. In large cities, trade unions and public organizations hold mass demonstrations, which highlight the problems of women's rights. Mimosa has been considered a traditional attribute of International Women's Day since the post-war period in Italy. Men on this day give their ladies lush bouquets of yellow flowers. Italians prefer to spend a holiday in a female company. They arrange bachelorette parties, visit bars, restaurants, cafes, nightclubs, which provide them with discounts on this day.

Germany. In Germany, International Women's Day is not a popular holiday or public holiday. It is celebrated mainly by young couples. Men give women flowers, sweets, gifts, organize trips to restaurants, cafes, cinemas.

France. In France, the holiday of March 8 has not gained wide popularity. This day is associated among the inhabitants of the country with the day of women's struggle for their rights. In large cities, communist and feminist currents organize demonstrations and parades dedicated to gender inequality. The most popular among the French is Mother's Day, which is celebrated in May.

China. In China, on International Women's Day, companies give the fairer sex a short working day. The Chinese honor their parents. The first woman they congratulate is their mother. It is customary to give mothers practical and useful gifts: cosmetics, orthopedic pillows, subscriptions to gyms and beauty salons. Women and girls go shopping on March 8. Shopping centers and fashion houses arrange sales for their clients on the occasion of the holiday.

Japan. The Japanese dedicate the whole of March to women. This month they honor mothers and congratulate close girls and women. March 8 is inferior in popularity to Girls' Day (also Peach Blossom Festival), which is celebrated on March 3. On the eve of this celebration, the Japanese install decorations from Hina dolls in their houses. On holiday, they give gifts to girls. There is a tradition to wear folk clothes, visit friends and arrange tea ceremonies.

March 8 is a holiday of spring and beauty. All women look forward to it. On this day, men surround them with care and attention, give flowers and gifts.

Congratulations

I congratulate you on spring
Happy International Women's Day!
May the house be filled with silence
May you always be comfortable in it.

I wish you care and attention
Only serene and beautiful days.
Let them give you your favorite confessions,
And let them love you every day stronger.

On this day of flowers, bouquets
The songs of the river are all for you.
Be sweet like candy
And beautiful as a diamond.

What date is March 8 (International Women's Day) in 2021, 2022, 2023

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 basis of this day is the story of the life of one woman, the one who invented the holiday on March 8 100 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 civil 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, 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 the upholding of political, economic and social freedoms by women, 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 coloring, 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.

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 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 groups, and in schools and kindergartens, matinees are held, at which children congratulate their mothers on March 8.