International Women's Day

March 8th!!!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 was quite banal: low wages and poor working conditions.

For the second time, this date was remembered by activists of the New York Social Democratic organization, who gathered on March 8, 1908, a rally in defense of women's rights.

The first Women’s Day was officially proclaimed in 1909 by the Socialist Party of America as National Women’s Day and was celebrated on the last Sunday in February.

In 1910, at the Second International Conference of Socialist Women in Copenhagen, Clara Zetkin proposed an annual International Women’s Day, but no specific date was proposed or discussed.

Clara Zetkin (Drawing by the artist I. Brodsky)

For the first time "international" women's day became in 1911: then it was celebrated in four countries - Austria, Germany, Denmark and Switzerland, however on different days. In 1912, history repeated itself.

Women's Day came to Russia in 1913, or rather came to a separate city - 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.

The outbreak of the First World War made Europe forget about any holidays for a long time. And with the Bolsheviks coming to power in Russia, the International Women’s Day was again remembered and given its official status. According to the common conviction of historians and political scientists, the commissioners used the achievements of European socialists for an ideological struggle against the Orthodox Church.

The eighth of March was intended to turn Soviet people away from religious holidays: carnival, which falls at about the same time; and the Day of Myrrh-bearing Wives, celebrated on the third Sunday after Easter and considered Orthodox Women's Day.

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.

However, this changed little: except for the former Soviet republics, March 8 is still not celebrated by anyone in the world. And in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania. International Women’s Day has been officially abolished in Georgia and Armenia. On April 7, Armenia celebrates a new holiday of Motherhood and Beauty.

However, 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.