International Women's Day

Don’t forget to congratulate your loved ones.Already in ancient Rome, there was a women’s day, which was celebrated by matrons. On this day, matrons - free-born women, married, received gifts from their husbands, were surrounded by love and attention. The slaves also received gifts. In addition, the hostess of the house allowed slaves to rest on this day. Dressed in the best clothes, with fragrant wreaths on their heads, Roman women came to the temple of the goddess Vesta - the keeper of the hearth.

The initiator of the celebration of International Women’s Day was Clara Zetkin. The very first historical event that came to this day and associated with the attempt of women to claim their rights was the protest march of New York textile workers on March 8, 1857. The reason, alas, is quite banal: low wages and poor working conditions.

In 1913 women’s day was first celebrated in Russia (more precisely – in a separate city of St. Petersburg). The date of its holding, as well as the names of the organizers, could not be found even in Soviet sources, although it was Soviet ideologists who for several decades in every possible way developed the myth of the “internationality” of women’s day.

And only in 1914 - for the first and last time! - Women's Day was celebrated on March 8 simultaneously in six countries: Austria, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Russia and Switzerland.

In 1975, Soviet ideologists finally managed to fulfill their long-held dream: since this year was declared the International Year of Women by the United Nations, March 8, at the request of the USSR delegation by the decision of the same UN, received the official status of International Women’s Day.

To be fair, it is worth adding that March 8 is still remembered outside Russia. For example, in most European countries on this day, among other things, the news that today is International Women’s Day. However, this is usually simply stated rather than marked as an event.