What holiday is it difficult to imagine the beginning of spring without? Of course, without March 8th. The history of the creation of the holiday of March 8, many of us have already been forgotten. Over time, it lost its social and political significance. Now this day simply symbolizes the respect, love and tenderness that all women on the planet undoubtedly deserve: mothers, grandmothers, daughters, wives and sisters.
The origin of the holiday of March 8 is not known to everyone. Most of us only know about the official version. However, there is more than one story of the creation of the holiday of March 8. Moreover, each of them has a right to exist. In which of these versions to believe, everyone decides for himself.
Official version
According to the official version of the USSR, the origin of the holiday on March 8 is connected with a protest march organized by workers of a textile factory. Women came out to protest against harsh working conditions and low salaries.
It is noteworthy that the newspapers of those years did not publish a single article about such strikes. Later, historians managed to find out what in March 1857 was on Sunday. It may seem strange that women went on strike on a day off.
There is another story. On March 8, Klara Zetkin spoke at the Women's Forum in Copenhagen calling for the establishment of International Women's Day. The German Communist 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 put on strike by the very textile workers, which in reality has never been.
In the USSR, this holiday appeared thanks to a friend of Clara Zetkin, a fiery revolutionary Alexander Kollontai. So in 1921, in our country, Women's Day for the first time became an official holiday.
The legend of the Jewish queen
The opinions of historians about the origin of Clara Zetkin were divided. No one can say for sure if she was Jewish. Some sources say that Klara was born into a Jewish family. Others claim that her father was German.
Klara Zetkin’s desire to associate the holiday with the date of March 8 indicates ambiguously that she nevertheless had Jewish roots, since March 8 marks the ancient Jewish holiday, Purim.
What other versions of creating the holiday on March 8 are there? The history of the holiday may be associated 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 charms. 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 the enemies, including the Persians.
Praising the queen, the Jews began to celebrate Purim. The date of the celebration was always different and fell at the end of February - the beginning of March. However, in 1910 this day fell on March 8th.
Women of the ancient profession
According to the third version, the origin of the holiday on March 8 is scandalous and unpleasant for women who are looking forward to this day.
According to some reports, in 1857, women in New York actually organized a protest, but they were not textile workers, but representatives of the ancient profession, who demanded that wages be paid to sailors who used their services, since the latter could not pay them.
On March 8, 1894, women of easy virtue again held a demonstration, but already in Paris. They demanded recognition of their rights on an equal basis with other workers who are engaged in sewing clothes and baking 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 Klara Zetkin herself participated in such actions. For example, in 1910, she and her friend, Rosa Luxemburg, brought prostitutes to the streets of Germany with a demand to stop police brutality. In the Soviet version, public women had to be replaced by "workers."
Why implement March 8th?
The history of International Women's Day in Russia is political. March 8 is essentially a regular political company run by the Social Democrats. At the beginning of the 20th century, European women actively protested in order to attract public attention. To do this, they took to the streets with posters propagating socialist appeals. This was at hand for 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, I had to slightly adjust the history. If the leader said - it was necessary to fulfill.
Women from Venus
The traditions associated with International Women's Day are no less interesting than the origin of the holiday on March 8. For example, purple ribbons are worn on this day.
And this is not surprising, because this color represents Venus, which is considered the patroness of all women. That is why all the famous ladies (politicians, teachers, medical workers, journalists, actresses and sportswomen) wear purple ribbons when they take part in the events of March 8th. As a rule, they take part in political meetings, women's conferences or theatrical performances, fairs and even fashion shows.
The meaning of the holiday
There is no city where March 8 is not celebrated. The history of the holiday for many personifies the indomitable spirit of women fighting for equality and their social rights. For others, this holiday has long lost its political motive and has become an excellent occasion to express love and respect for the fair sex.
On this wonderful day, congratulations on March 8 are everywhere. In any organization, company or educational institution, employees are honored and presented with flowers and gifts. In addition, official events are organized in cities on March 8. A gala concert is held annually in the Kremlin in Moscow.
How is March 8 celebrated in Russia?
On March 8, all women forget about household chores. All housework (cleaning, cooking, washing) is postponed. Often men take upon themselves all the cares in order to feel once a year on themselves the whole difficulty of performing everyday tasks that our women cope with. On this day, every representative of the fair sex should hear the words of congratulations on March 8.
This holiday does not cease 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. Indeed, without women, life on Earth would cease to exist!