Hundreds of thousands of women celebrate March 8 in Ukraine every year. However, explaining why we celebrate Women’s Day on March 8 and the history of this holiday in general is not so simple. How “prostitutes” were replaced in history with “workers” and about women’s protests - read the material.
And if those women to whom we owe the holiday of March 8th - the suffragettes - were told that in a hundred years women would begin to prepare for this day in beauty salons, and then accept flowers, perfumes and compliments as gifts from men - these ladies would definitely come out from myself. And the reaction of the revolutionary Clara Zetkin, who gave Women’s Day the status of an annual and international event, is difficult to imagine.
History of March 8– version one, official: Day of Solidarity of Working Women
Although this version of the creation of the March 8 holiday during the USSR was recognized as official (and no other versions were considered), it has several “errors”.
So, according to the official version, the holiday is associated with the “March of Empty Pots,” which took place on March 8, 1857 in New York.Back then, women who worked in textile dye factories protested against poor working conditions and low wages.During the march, they beat these same pots, demanding that they be given a 10-hour working day instead of a 16-hour day, equal wages with men and the right to vote.
The same version also speaks about the famous German communist Clara Zetkin. She is often called the woman who founded the holiday on March 8th. In 1910, at a women's forum in Copenhagen, Zetkin called on the world to establish International Women's Day on March 8. She meant that on this day women would organize rallies and demonstrations, and thereby draw public attention to their problems.
Here it is also worth recalling Zetkin’s controversial call. She was an avid communist, which means she was ready to do anything for the sake of her own beliefs. In 1920, during the war between Poland and Soviet Russia, Zetkin stated the following from the Reichstag rostrum.
Not a single carriage with weapons for the Polish troops, with machine tools for the military factories built in Poland by the Entente capitalists, should cross the German border.
To do this, Zetkin called on all “conscious proletarian women” to mobilize, who should offer their love to any “conscious” worker who refuses to participate in the fulfillment of military orders.
History of March 8: Clara Zetkin
This holiday came to the then Russian Empire through Zetkin’s friend, the fiery revolutionary Alexandra Kollontai. The same one that conquered the Soviet Union with a “big phrase”.
You should give yourself to the first man you meet as easily as drinking a glass of water.
On March 8, 1917, a women's demonstration took place in Petrograd. While two million soldiers died during the war, women came out demanding "bread and peace." This historical Sunday falls on February 23rd according to the Julian calendar, or March 8th according to the Gregorian calendar - the beginning of the Russian revolution.
Four days later, the Tsar abdicated and the provisional government granted voting rights to women. March 8 became an official holiday in the USSR in 1921.
History of March 8– version two: protests of prostitutes, not factory workers
This version of the origin of the holiday is perhaps the most scandalous and unpleasant for everyone representatives of beauty genders who await International Women's Day with trepidation.
Detention of suffragettes in Britain
In 1857, women did protest in New York (as we wrote above), but they were not textile workers, but prostitutes.
They demanded to pay wages to the sailors, because they used their services and did not have the money to pay. Even later - March 8, 1894 - Another demonstration of prostitutes took place in Paris. This time they demanded recognition of their rights on an equal basis with those service sector workers who sew clothes or bake bread, and
establish special
unions .Detention of suffragettes Similar actions took place in 1895 in Chicago, and in 1896 in New York. These protests became the prerequisite for the memorable suffragette convention (from
English wordsuffrage - “suffrage”) in 1910, where it was decided to declare March 8th Women’s Day and international, as suggested by Zetkin.By the way, Clara Zetkin herself also took part in such actions.
In 1910, together with her friend Rosa Luxemburg, she brought prostitutes onto the streets of German cities demanding an end to police brutality.
There is a version that Zetkin was born into the family of a Jewish shoemaker, and therefore she associated March 8 with the Jewish holiday of Purim.
According to legend, the beloved of the Persian king Xerxes, Esther, saved the Jewish people from extermination by using her charms.Xerxes wanted to exterminate all the Jews, but Esther convinced him not only not to kill the Jews, but, on the contrary, to destroy all Jewish enemies, including the Persians themselves.This happened on the 13th day of Ardah according to the Jewish calendar (this month falls at the end of February- early March). Honoring Esther, Jews began to celebrate Purim.The date of the celebration was “floating”, but in 1910 it fell on March 8th.
This version looks unlikely, but against the backdrop of fictitious protests by female factory workers– not so absurd.
Detention of suffragettes in Germany
Other versions
Some are convinced that March 8 is Mrs. Zetkin’s birthday.Others, either jokingly or seriously, claim that on this day Clara Zetkin (Eisner) became a woman, and then decided to include this intimate date in world history, veiling it under the day of “international solidarity of the female proletariat.”
The version about Zetkin’s birthday can be easily refuted, because, according to historical documents, she was born on July 5th. But the other one - about the loss of virginity - remains just a strange assumption. Over the years, the holiday of March 8 itself has become increasingly overgrown with similar and unlikely legends.
Caricature of suffragettes in the press
What do we celebrate on March 8?
To put it bluntly, March 8– an ordinary political “PR campaign” of the Social Democrats.At the beginning of the 20th century, women protested throughout Europe.And to attract attention, they didn’t even need to show their breasts, as modern activists doIt was enough to simply walk through the streets with posters on which socialist slogans were written.
March 8 for a long time was an ordinary working day, only May 8, 1965, on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War, International Women's Day March 8 was declared a holiday in the USSR.
establish special
If you say that March 8– this is a communist relic, you can’t go wrong.However, one cannot ignore the fact that on the other hand– this is a manifestation of the women's movement.It doesn’t really matter what professions representatives took to the streets to protest.After decades, we are only interested in the fact itself.
And if this also concerned communism, then March 8 would not have become a public holiday in Azerbaijan, Angola, Belarus, Burkina Faso, Vietnam, Georgia, North Korea, Kazakhstan, Cambodia, Kyrgyzstan, China, the Republic of the Congo, Laos, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Nepal, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Russia, Uganda.
Detention of suffragettes
Whichever neither was true The history of this day, March 8 has long become a symbol of beauty, tenderness, femininity and spring. However, we dare to remind you that women deserve
attention, care and romance every day, not once a year. 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.
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 is no misunderstanding, hostility 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 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 announced the organization of “... a scientific morning on women's issues.” 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 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, 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 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 state documents did not have.
After the breakup Soviet Union March 8 remains on the list of public holidays of 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, 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 best time for celebration 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 particularly think 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.
Since childhood, beautiful ladies have been looking forward to a wonderful holiday - March 8, in honor of which they are brought congratulations, flowers and gifts. With the onset of this spring day, men turn into gallant gentlemen, show signs of attention to their beloved women, say pleasant words to them and are ready to fulfill any whim. But would you think that, unlike the fairy-tale stories of the emergence of many holidays, the history of the March 8 holiday goes back far into the past and is closely intertwined with the ongoing struggle of women of many generations and peoples for their natural rights and gender equality?
The origins of the holiday from ancient times
The history of Ancient Greece mentions the first action of women against the stronger sex, when Lysistrata, in order to stop hostilities, declared a sex strike. IN Ancient Rome, on the contrary, women revered their husbands, and there was a special day for the fair sex, on which men gave gifts to their matrons (free married women), and involuntary slaves received exemption from work. The entire Roman people, in festive attire and in high spirits, went to worship at the Temple of the goddess Vesta, guardian of the hearth.
According to some experts, the occurrence of March 8 may be associated with the truly wise and heroic act of Esther, the beloved wife of the Persian king Xerxes. The woman, being a Jew, hid her origin from her husband and took an oath from him to protect her people from enemies. Esther saved the Jews from the Persian attack that threatened them, so the 13th day of Adar, which fell between the end of February and the beginning of March, became the holiday of Purim. In 1910, when International Women's Day was officially established, Purim was celebrated exactly on March 8th.
International Basics of Women's Day
At all times, women have strived for equality with men and achieved their goals different ways: cunning, intelligence, affection - but sometimes circumstances required decisive open statements. The history of International Women's Day on March 8, 1857, is connected with such events, when New York women working in factories went out for a demonstration, known in history as the “March of Empty Pots.” Their demands included shorter working hours, better working conditions and pay equal to men's. As a result of the speech, a trade union organization was created, the list of whose members included female representatives for the first time to represent their interests, which was a great achievement and inspired activists around the world.
Exactly 51 years later, New York women again defended their rights by going to a rally. To the slogans of the previous speech, this time demands were added for women to gain the right to cast their vote as voters. The procession was dispersed by local law enforcement using jets of ice water, but the speakers achieved the creation of a constitutional commission to consider the issue of women's voting.
In 1909, by decision of the US Socialist Party, the last Sunday in February was declared National Women's Day, the celebration of which was marked by a parade of free American women every year until 1913.
The next milestone in the history of March 8th was the Copenhagen Second International Conference of Working Women in 1910, which was attended by more than a hundred activists from many countries around the world.
German Social Democrat Clara Zetkin, based on the experience of like-minded American women, put forward a proposal to establish an International Day of Solidarity for women who unite in advocating for social, economic and political equality of the sexes.
The proposal was adopted by a unanimous decision of the conference delegates. Over the next 3 years, women in a number of European countries, such as Germany, Austria, Denmark, Switzerland, celebrated the established day by holding processions and demonstrations, but a single date was not determined. It was only in 1914 that the holiday was tied to the date of March 8 on a global scale.
61 years later, in 1975, the UN officially proclaimed March 8 as International Women's Day and invited its member states to organize events aimed at overcoming the problem of gender inequality on this day.
Domestic history of March 8
The history of the March 8 holiday in Russia dates back to 1913, when about one and a half thousand people gathered at the St. Petersburg grain exchange for scientific readings concerning women's rights. On February 23, 1917 (according to the old calendar, or the Julian calendar, and March 8, according to the new Gregorian calendar), residents of the Northern capital again went to a rally, this time their slogans demanded “bread and peace.” This event happened on the eve of the February Revolution: 4 days later, the last monarch of the great Russian Empire, Nicholas II, abdicated the throne, and the provisional government that received the reins of power gave women voting rights.
In 1965, the leadership of the Soviet Union to the International women's day was given the status of a state holiday, and March 8 was declared a day off on an all-Union scale in honor of Soviet communist women who bravely opposed the enemy in wartime and showed dedication in building a peaceful society.
Modern approach
International Women's Day is officially established as a non-working day and is celebrated in almost all republics in the post-Soviet space with minor shifts in date and changes in name. So, in Russia, Belarus, Latvia, Moldova, Ukraine and a number of CIS countries, the holiday has not changed; in Tajikistan, March 8 is now called Mother’s Day; in Armenia, it is celebrated on April 7 and is called Mother, Beauty and Spring Day. But Lithuania and Estonia, after the collapse of the USSR, hastened to get rid of the remnants of the past and excluded this day from the list of holidays.
As time passed, the holiday of March 8 lost its political background and became more a day of women-mothers, rather than women-warriors. Husbands, sons, brothers, colleagues strive to congratulate their wives, mothers, sisters and colleagues, to show them their love and affection on this day. Read also,. And gift ideas for your beloved mother for Women's Day.
Even a preschooler will tell you without hesitation that International Women’s Day is celebrated annually on March 8, but not every adult is familiar with the unusual history of this beloved holiday. How did the tradition of congratulating the fair half of humanity originate, and what exactly was the reason for the appearance of this wonderful spring holiday on the calendar?
Origin story
The historical roots of the fun-filled, flower-filled, gift-filled holiday have a feminist and political flavour. For the first time, the day of March 8 appears in the events of distant 1901. That day, American housewives filled the streets of Chicago with pots and basins turned upside down. In such an original way they wanted to attract the attention of society and authorities. Participants in the march demanded equal political rights, self-respect, the opportunity to work in production and serve in the army alongside men. Seven years later, feminists repeated their demands, but on a national scale. After which National Women's Day was proclaimed in the United States.
The founder of International Women's Day is considered to be Clara Zetkin, a German communist, a woman reformer who made a huge contribution to upholding women's rights. It was she, as the leader of the women's group of the Social Democratic Party of Germany, in the difficult year for the communists in 1910, at the International Women's Conference, who made a proposal to establish a Day of Solidarity for Working Women of the World.
Clara Zetkin believed that the annual holiday, celebrated on one day, would unite women from different countries in the fight for equal rights. The main purpose of the new holiday was the struggle for freedom and equality of female workers. This initiative received a response in the form of a wave of rallies that swept across Europe. The first women's holidays in different countries were celebrated on different dates in March. And only in 1914 did the working people of the world celebrate their holiday on March 8th.
In 1957, on March 8, workers in New York garment factories came out to fight for their rights. They actively demanded improved working conditions, a reduction in the inhumane 16-hour working day and an increase in meager wages compared to men. wages. As a result of this event, a women's trade union emerged, which subsequently continued its activities.
The UN adopted the celebration of International Women's Day in 1975, and this year was also declared international year women, and the next ten years, from 1976 to 1985, were proclaimed the International Women's Decade. In 1977, a resolution was issued according to which Women's Rights Day was dedicated to March 8. Now the spring women's holiday is celebrated in more than 30 countries around the world. In some states it is still a working day.
In Russia, Women's Day was first celebrated in pre-revolutionary St. Petersburg on March 2, 1913. On this day, a government-approved “scientific morning on women's issues” took place, with issues of motherhood, inflation and women's voting rights on its agenda. One and a half thousand people took part in the event.
In the revolutionary year of 1917, the current government did not give St. Petersburg women the opportunity to celebrate the international women's holiday. Attempts to join the women of other countries ended in clashes that turned into demonstrations and the February revolution. In 1921, at the meeting of the 2nd Communist Women's Conference, it was decided to coincide the celebration of March 8th with the memory of this demonstration, which involuntarily became a harbinger of the February revolution.
In the new Soviet state, Women's Day immediately received the status of a holiday, but continued to remain a working day. Working women of Soviet enterprises gradually received equal rights with men to the opportunity to work, to legal rest, to study, and to govern the state. Freed from oppression soviet women morally supported their friends from capitalist countries at rallies and meetings.
On the holiday, Soviet ladies were not given flowers or gifts, but they were previously released from work, awarded with certificates of honor, thanks and bonuses. There is evidence that in some stores workers were treated to pleasant discounts. True, the discounts were not on perfumes and cosmetics, but on galoshes - shoes that were popular in those days.
International Women's Day was declared an official holiday in the Soviet Union in May 1965. Since 1966, March 8 is a public holiday. Gradually, Women's Day lost its original political overtones and the fierce overtones of feminism. Back in Soviet times, a good tradition arose of giving ladies flowers, sweets, cards and gifts.
In Russia, Women's Day was officially included in the list of public holidays of the Russian Federation in 2002. In the new conditions, it gradually became a day of admiration for women, mothers, and wives. On March 8, men are especially gallant and courageous. They gladly take on women's responsibilities and free the fairer sex from housework and everyday chores.
March 8 is recognized as International Women's Day, but few people know how this holiday appeared. We celebrate it and don’t think about how women have achieved equality and respect for themselves. And it all started hundreds of years ago, from Matrona’s Day.
It turns out that the history of the March 8 holiday dates back to Ancient Rome. Then this holiday did not have a specific name, and it was celebrated by noble matrons. At that time, matrons were women who were free in their birth and were married. When the holiday arrived, husbands gave their wives wonderful gifts and surrounded them with warmth, love and care all day long.
Even slaves on this day were freed from their direct duties and could do whatever they wanted. Most often, women living in Rome took out their best outfits, put them on and went to the temple of the Goddess Vesta - the guardian of the family hearth - probably thereby thanking her for this wonderful day.
First strike
But time passed, and patriarchy came again. Men oppressed women, humiliated them, infringed on their rights. In the 19th century, women could not take up high-ranking positions, did not have the right to vote, and also could not work wherever they wanted. The fair sex did not want to put up with this, because their grievances had accumulated over the years. And in 1857, on March 8, the first strike was held by women in New York.
The instigators of the action were textile workers who worked 16 hours a day and received pennies. Women wanted to be able to work the same as men, that is, 10 hours, and that the rooms in which they worked were warm and bright. They also demanded that their wages be equal to those received by men. Of all of the above, they achieved little, only a ten-hour work shift, but even this was a big victory in those days.
In addition to the strike, representatives of the fair sex decided to create their own trade union organization, although before that they did not have such a right. Hundreds of women took to the streets with posters and proved to everyone around them that they could have the right to vote and also elect their government, like men. Thus, the story of March 8 gained momentum, and the Socialist Party of America decided that every last Sunday in February would be recognized as women's day. But this holiday was celebrated in the country for only 4 years.
The fight continues
After this decision was made at the International Women's Conference in Copenhagen, Clara Zetkin proposed organizing rallies similar to the American action every year around the world. This was not just a proposal, it was a real war cry that sounded for women all over the world to stand up for what is right. Many girls responded. The first actions to help the poor, protests for the right to work appeared, some fought for world peace, and some began to defend their dignity and the honor of those women who regularly suffered domestic violence.
The first countries to respond to the celebration of Women's Day were Denmark, Germany, Switzerland and Austria. True, everything was celebrated on March 19, but this was already a big plus in the lives of many women. Then, for the March 8 holiday, the history of its origin played a big role: it was the strike, that is, a pronounced protest, that led to the fact that a new important date appeared in the calendars of girls of that time. Moreover, at the same time many women received decent jobs and rights on an equal basis with men.
In 1913, Russia celebrated the holiday on March 8 for the first time. Meanwhile, in countries where the government did not approve the introduction of Women's Day, rallies and strikes were organized, and, of course, they were carried out by women. For example, in England there were a number of strikes against the arbitrariness of men and their attitude towards the fair sex. Even London prostitutes came out to protest, demanding better conditions and higher rates.
However, in deep-rooted bourgeois countries, March 8 never became an “international” day. Apparently, the housewives there were not particularly attracted by the revolutionary struggle and the change from cozy, albeit boring, kitchens to exile and hard labor that accompanied this struggle.
Holiday approvals
In 1917, when March 8 was already celebrated constantly, the history of the holiday also affected countries such as Finland, Iceland and Norway. In these countries, women finally got the right to vote. In 1921, at the second international women's conference, it was decided that March 8 would now be more than just women's day. This holiday will also be celebrated as a memory of all those women who were once not afraid to go out and defend their rights!
In 1965, the Supreme Council of the USSR approved March 8 as an official holiday. From that time on, it began to appear red on the calendar, and people began to give a day off on this day. Time passed, and gradually the holiday became less political and more and more romantic, and, despite the fact that the Soviet Union collapsed a long time ago, it was not stopped being celebrated.
In addition, March 8 is considered a day off not only in the countries of the former Soviet Union. Angola, Mongolia, Macedonia, China, Congo and Cambodia have joined this tradition. On March 8, Uzbekistan celebrates Mother’s Day, and in Armenia this day is recognized as the day of motherhood and the universal beauty of women. But International Women's Day in these countries, as well as in Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia, was canceled for unknown reasons. By the way, the most romantic country - France - also does not celebrate the eighth of March, no matter how regrettable it may sound. They do not believe that this day should be red on the calendar, that it is worthy of respect. Many Frenchmen and Frenchwomen generally consider it meaningless.
March 8 in different countries
Despite the fact that March 8 is a day when the history of the holiday itself means a lot, countries around the world decided to celebrate it in different ways.
- In Italy, it is not customary to spend this day with men. Women in their groups gather in a cafe and celebrate. By the way, if such a company is in the cafe, men are not allowed to enter!
- In Germany, this holiday also did not gain much momentum. It is not considered a day off, and even many women are indifferent to it.
- Vietnam, like Russia, celebrates this holiday. It means a lot to them, because before it was dedicated to the sisters who gave their lives to save the country.
- In Bulgaria, this holiday is celebrated, but there is no day off for it. Therefore, often in teams where there are women, feasts are arranged after lunch, and men congratulate their female colleagues.
- In China, this holiday has already been lost. Only those women who were revolutionaries in their time receive congratulations. Everyone else has nothing to do with this celebration.
- In Cuba, International Women's Day is a great holiday. The thing is that there was a time when women went “on the warpath” and fought on an equal basis with men. That is why on March 8, the beautiful half of humanity receives congratulations and gifts from everywhere.
In Russia, the holiday is revered today in the same way as it was revered several decades ago. The day off is organized everywhere, both in government organizations and private ones. Very often there are concerts dedicated to women. In the mornings, crowds of men stand outside flower shops to buy the most beautiful bouquets for their beautiful women. The favorite flower of most is the mimosa, because it is associated with the beginning of spring. Many men stand at the stove on this day, relieving their beloved women of all worries. They bring breakfast in bed, clean and prepare a romantic dinner or other surprise. Every Russian woman is looking forward to this day to receive not only gifts, but also positive emotions, which are often so lacking throughout the year.
On the eve of March 8th, you can find a lot of different unique gifts in stores that are dedicated to Women's Day. These include interesting chocolate bars, many varieties of perfumes, various sets of dishes, and colorful postcards with both humorous and serious wishes.
They usually congratulate all women: colleagues, mothers, grandmothers, daughters, wives, loved ones, and even passers-by. The atmosphere of the holiday always reigns in the air, and you really feel that spring will begin soon. After all, women, of course, are associated with beauty. And it is already associated with spring.
The history of the March 8 holiday takes us back to the times when women proved to the whole world what they are capable of. This is the day when girls decided to real life, when they became equal and received the right to vote. This holiday must be remembered not as another reason to receive or give a gift, but as proof that women are not such a weaker sex after all!