In which countries and how is March 8 celebrated?

Among the many memorable dates in Russia, there is a spring day, which is a women's holiday and is celebrated on March 8th. In Russia it is a public holiday and it is celebrated widely and cheerfully. According to the United Nations, which has 193 government agencies, International Women's Day is a memorable date. However, at present, not all UN member states are showing interest in this holiday.

For Russians, the 8th March holiday is one of their favorite and expected ones, when men congratulate women, give them gifts, flowers and their attention.

The emergence of women's day is associated with the German political activist Clara Zetkin, which was one of those who formed the Communist Party in Germany. She devoted a lot of effort to legitimizing the equal rights of all women with men. The main idea of ​​Clara Zetkin was equality, so the ideological message was quickly picked up by women from other countries.

One day a year, working patriots of the world celebrate a holiday, which is a symbol of respect for a woman, her recognition as an equal member of society. The first such holiday was celebrated in 1914. After the October Revolution, when the young Russian state was formed, March 8 was recognized as a national holiday, but at that time it was not considered a day off. Thanks to the revolution, the women of our country were able to obtain equal rights with men.Recovering their spirits, they were ready to proclaim the idea of ​​unity and equality far beyond the borders of the state, supporting the female population of the whole world in this endeavor.

In the post-revolutionary Soviet state, on this spring day, women were allowed to leave their jobs a little earlier than usual. It was customary to gather production meetings, where the distinguished workers were awarded certificates and valuable gifts, their social consciousness and labor prowess were encouraged.

In early spring, one of the first flowering plants was mimosa, so it became a symbol of the 8 March holiday., which is firmly rooted and has survived to this day. Mimosa was depicted on postcards, posters, painted in wall newspapers. It is noteworthy that mimosa personified a woman - strong, courageous, beautiful, the same as this flower, not afraid of frost. Mimosa was transported en masse from the southern regions throughout the country and given these twigs with yellow balls to many women.

After the collapse of the USSR, the tradition of giving mimosas was replaced by tulips and roses, often modern men give women live potted plants on March 8. The holiday itself gradually lost its political connotation, remaining a day when people congratulate each other on the arrival of spring and honor women. In 2002, on the territory of post-Soviet Russia, this date was officially recognized as a public holiday.

Russian people are used to celebrating this holiday according to the established tradition:

• men congratulate all women, young and old, without dividing them according to social status and age;
• the main gift for the spring holiday are flowers - a bouquet of tulips, roses or a few sprigs of fresh mimosa;
• men in honor of the holiday take over all household chores, freeing women from household chores;
• certificates of honor and souvenirs as a gift are now out of use, but they are replaced by perfumery, jewelry, confectionery, beautiful dishes, and so on;
• in educational and labor collectives, colleagues, fellow students and even classmates congratulate girls, girls, women on this spring day;
• the festive table must certainly contain delicacies that all women love - cake or pastries, chocolates and champagne.

By tradition, congratulations to women colleagues in production or other institutions occurs on the eve of the holiday - March 7, since the calendar day March 8 is a general day off.

As mentioned above, International Women's Day is not universally recognized. The list of those celebrating March 8 includes those countries that previously had a socialist path of development. This day acquired the status of an official holiday only in 1975 by the decision of the UN.

It seems that many will be interested to know how the spring day on March 8 passes in different countries.

• English women this day is not celebrated, dispensing with Mother's Day, which is celebrated annually 3 weeks before the onset of Catholic Easter. On spring Mother's Day, women receive flowers and gifts, men's recognition and compliments.

• In France - the country, which is, in fact, a symbol of the revolution, - the holiday on March 8 is also not celebrated. It, like in England, is replaced by Mother's Day. This day falls on the last Sunday in May.

• In East Germany (formerly GDR) this day is not recognized as a day off. It is believed that the holiday has lost its relevance, like the socialist past that has left this part of the country. Here, March 8 is an ordinary day of the week, so men do not honor women, do not give them flowers. However, as in other European countries, it is customary to celebrate Mother's Day.

• In Greece they love and celebrate the 8 March holiday, and this country has even developed its own traditions of celebrating it.Women are allowed to joke about men in every possible way, you can even douse them with water, and in the villages all residents gather and congratulate the oldest woman living in their area.

• In Poland know and remember Women's Day on March 8, although it has lost its status as a holiday. Now this day is officially ordinary, but the old tradition has remained for many. Aged Polish men give their women bouquets of flowers.

• In Bulgaria, which was previously part of the socialist camp, they loved to celebrate March 8, but now this tradition is gradually becoming a thing of the past. There is no official holiday or day off on this day in Bulgaria. Only a few men, keeping the tradition, give flowers and small gifts to their loved ones.

• In Cuba the spring March holiday to this day bears a revolutionary coloration, being one of the symbols of freedom for this state. On this day, Cubans organize lavish festivities, rallies and demonstrations of peaceful significance. Men congratulate women, be sure to hand them a bouquet of flowers. As before, it is customary to arrange feasts, exhibitions, festivities and carnivals here. Nobody works on this day in Cuba - it is considered a day off.

• In italy the holiday is still revered, and mimosa, like here in Russia, is a symbol of women's equality here. Italian women celebrate this holiday separately from men. It is customary here to gather bachelorette parties, where women can gather in a cheerful company in a cafe, bar or restaurant. Towards the end of the party, men arrive for their ladies and pay for the women's banquet.

• In African Uganda they also know about the holiday on March 8, they celebrate it with pleasure, but in a very peculiar way. This holiday does not imply a political background. Men show respect for a woman by showering the fair sex with fresh flowers. There is a tradition of skinny bathing for women in order to obtain energy from female ancestors.

• IN THE USA there is no such holiday. And this despite the fact that for the first time it was celebrated (according to one of the versions about the origin of the celebration) back in 1909 in New York by women of the trade union committee of tailors. It was this fact that influenced famous European feminist revolutionaries, including Clara Zetkin.

• In Japan there is also no holiday on March 8, but two other women's days are celebrated in March. The first comes on the 3rd, and it is dedicated to the peach blossom and young girls. The second holiday is celebrated on the 14th - this is the prototype of March 8, when all women who have a lover receive congratulations. There is no political coloring in these holidays.

On the territory of the post-Soviet space, there is also an ambiguous attitude towards International Women's Day. Let's see how the former fraternal republics celebrate it now.

• In Kazakhstan the holiday on March 8 has been celebrated since Soviet times. It is considered traditional to this day, so men give women their attention, gifts and flowers.
• In Belarus spring day is officially recognized as a public holiday and a day off. It is celebrated on a large scale and widely, with congratulations in the home circle and teams. That is, everything remained the same.
• In Lithuania the holiday has lost its official status and ceased to be a day off. Unofficially, this day is celebrated by people who come from Russia, while native Lithuanians do not support this tradition, considering it the legacy of socialism.
• In Turkmenistan 8 March has the status of a public holiday. In labor collectives on this day, the best workers are honored, they are presented with gifts and certificates. The holiday turns into folk festivities, the solemn program for which is prepared in advance by creative teams.

International Women's Day is a major event. There are many countries in the world where the holiday is held solemnly, officially considered a day off.

To understand how widespread the Spring Festival is, let's see in which countries, besides the Russian Federation, it is officially non-working:

• Angola, Afghanistan;
• Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Moldova, Uzbekistan, Ukraine;
• Burkina Faso, Guinea, Zambia, Cambodia, Uganda, Eritrea, Cuba;
• Vietnam, Laos, Mongolia.

Of course, some states, especially from among the republics that were previously part of the USSR, already have other official names. However, many of us know what we are talking about, so they will not be mistaken, thinking, for example, about Belarus, while reading “Belarus”.

In addition to those listed, you can name China and Madagascar. But there, March 8 is a day off only for women.

How they celebrate March 8 in Germany, see the video.