History of origin 8. History of International Women's Day

Why is International Women's Day celebrated on March 8? It turns out that there are no special reasons for this.

It all started in the early spring of 1857... when New York textile workers marched through Manhattan on a “march of empty pans.” They demanded higher wages, better working conditions and equal rights for women. The demonstration was naturally dispersed, but due to its unusual nature it caused quite a bit of noise. This event even began to be called Women's Day…

More than 50 years passed and on the last Sunday of February in 1908, thousands of women again took to the streets of New York. This demonstration, as you might guess, was timed to coincide with that same “Women’s Day” in 1857. Women again began to demand suffrage and spoke out against terrible working conditions, and especially against the labor of children. The police received orders to disperse the demonstration. Hoses filled with dirty, ice-cold water were used.

The following year, 1909, Women's Day was again marked by women's marches and strikes. In 1910, socialists and feminists celebrated Women's Day throughout the country. Later that year, delegates traveled from the United States to Copenhagen for Second International Conference of Women Socialists, where we met Clara Zetkin...

Inspired by the actions of the “American Socialist Sisters,” Clara Zetkin proposed that the conference ask women around the world to choose a specific day when they would draw public attention to their demands. The conference, which was attended by more than 100 women from 17 countries, enthusiastically supported this proposal by roll call vote, which resulted in the emergence of International Day of Women's Solidarity in the Struggle for Economic, Social and Political Equality. It should be noted that the exact date of this day was never determined at this conference.

For the first time International Women's Day was held March 19, 1911 in Germany, Austria, Denmark and some other European countries. This date was chosen by the women of Germany because on this day in 1848, the King of Prussia, facing the threat of armed rebellion, promised reforms, including the unfulfilled introduction of women's suffrage.

In 1912, women celebrated this day not on March 19, but 12 May. And only in 1914 this day began to be celebrated spontaneously for some reason. March 8.

Since Russia then lived, unlike all of Europe, according to the Julian calendar, International Women’s Day in our country was celebrated not on March 8, but February 23.

In Russia, women have celebrated this day every year since 1913. And so, February 23, 1917, this day has come again in Russia, the women of Petrograd took to the streets of the city to protest against the war. Some spontaneous rallies turned into mass strikes and demonstrations, clashes with Cossacks and police. On February 24-25, mass strikes developed into a general strike. On February 26, isolated clashes with the police resulted in battles with troops called to the capital. On February 27, the general strike developed into an armed uprising, and a massive transfer of troops began to side with the rebels, who occupied the most important points of the city and government buildings. The Council of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies was created, and at the same time the Provisional Committee of the State Duma was created, which formed the government. On March 2 (15), Nicholas II abdicated the throne. On March 1, a new government was established in Moscow, and throughout March throughout the country.

Thus, it was International Women's Day in 1917 that was the trigger that led to February Revolution, which in turn led to the October Revolution and the emergence of the USSR...

In the USSR, March 8 was a regular working day for a long time, but May 8, 1965, on the eve of the 20th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, International Women's Day March 8 was declared a holiday in the USSR.

By the way, since 2002, International Women's Day has been celebrated in Russia as a “non-working holiday” no longer according to the 1965 Decree, but according to Article 112 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation in the list of other nine public holidays of the Russian Federation.

P.S. Many doubt that this holiday is truly “international”. However, back in 1977, the UN adopted resolution 32/142, calling on all countries to proclaim March 8 as a day of struggle for women's rights - International Women's Day. This day has been declared a national holiday in the republics former USSR, as well as in: Angola, Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Cambodia, China, Congo (there is a holiday not for “international” women, but for Congolese women), Laos, Macedonia, Mongolia, Nepal, North Korea and Uganda. In Syria, March 8 is celebrated as Revolution Day, and in Liberia - even as the Day of Remembrance of the Fallen.

International Women's Day (or the UN International Day for Women's Rights and International Peace) is celebrated on March 8th.

In a number of countries, International Women's Day March 8 is a national holiday: in China, North Korea, Angola, Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Cambodia, Laos, Mongolia and Uganda.

After the collapse of the USSR, some republics of the former Union continue to celebrate March 8, some hastened to get rid of the Soviet legacy. In Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Moldova, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Abkhazia, March 8 is still celebrated as International Women's Day.

In Tajikistan, on the initiative of the country's president, since 2009 the holiday began to be called Mother's Day. This day remains a non-working day in Tajikistan.

In Turkmenistan, International Women's Day was not celebrated until 2008 - the women's holiday was moved to March 21 (day spring equinox), connected with Navruz - the national holiday of spring, and was called National holiday spring and women. In January 2008, President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov introduced changes to the Labor Code and

They are as old as time and are known to everyone. Just in case, I checked with my colleagues and realized that many only know the official version. On the eve of Women's Day, we decided to collect all the stories that, in one way or another, relate to the creation of the International women's day. Some of them may shock and even discourage people from celebrating this day at all.

Version one, official: Day of Solidarity of Working Women

The official version of the USSR states that the tradition of celebrating March 8 is associated with the “March of Empty Pots,” which was held on this day in 1857 by New York textile workers. They protested against unacceptable working conditions and low wages. It is interesting that there was not a single note about the strike in the press of that time. And historians have found out that March 8, 1857 was actually a Sunday. It is very strange to organize strikes on a day off.
In 1910, at a women's forum in Copenhagen, German communist Clara Zetkin called on the world to establish International Women's Day on March 8th. She meant that on this day women would organize rallies and marches, and thereby draw public attention to their problems. Well, we all already know this story.
Initially, the holiday was called the International Day of Women's Solidarity in the Fight for Their Rights. The date of March 8 was summed up by the same textile workers' strike, which, perhaps, never actually happened. More precisely, there was, but it was not the textile workers who went on strike. But more on that later.
This holiday was brought to the USSR by Zetkin’s friend, the fiery revolutionary Alexandra Kollontai. The one who conquered Soviet Union"great phrase": "You should give yourself to the first man you meet as easily as drinking a glass of water."

Version two, Jewish: praise of the Jewish queen

Historians have never agreed on whether Clara Zetkin was Jewish. Some sources claim that she was born into the family of a Jewish shoemaker, and others into a German teacher. Go figure it out. However, Zetkin’s desire to connect March 8 with Jewish holiday Purim will not be silent.
So, the second version says that Zetkin wanted to connect the history of Women’s Day with the history of the Jewish people. 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 their 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 - beginning of March). Praising Esther, Jews began to celebrate Purim. The date of the celebration was flexible, but in 1910 it fell on March 8th.

Version three, about women of the oldest profession

The third version is perhaps the most scandalous for all representatives of the fair sex, anxiously awaiting International Women's Day.
In 1857, women did protest in New York, but they were not textile workers, but prostitutes. Representatives the oldest profession they demanded to pay wages to sailors who used their services but did not have the money to pay.
In 1894, on March 8, prostitutes demonstrated again in Paris. This time they demanded that their rights be recognized on an equal basis with those women who sew clothes or bake bread, and that special trade unions be established. This was repeated in 1895 in Chicago, and in 1896 in New York - shortly before the memorable suffragette convention in 1910, where it was decided to declare this day a women's and international day at Zetkin's suggestion.
By the way, Clara herself carried out similar actions. All in the same 1910, together with her friend Rosa Luxemburg, she brought prostitutes onto the streets of German cities demanding an end to police excesses. But in the Soviet version, prostitutes were replaced with “working women.”

Why was March 8 introduced?

Many historians agree that March 8 is an ordinary political 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. It was enough to simply walk through the streets with posters on which socialist slogans were written, and public attention was guaranteed. And to the leaders of the Social Democratic Party, a tick, they say, progressive women are in solidarity with us.
Stalin also decided to increase his popularity and ordered to recognize March 8 as International Women's Day. But since it was difficult to tie it to historical events, the story had to be slightly adjusted. But no one really bothered to look into it. Since the leader said it, it means it was so.

International Women's Day is a holiday celebrated in a number of countries as "women's day". The meaning given to this definition varies from the day of women's struggle for civil and social rights until the day of honoring all women. A widely accepted version is that the tradition of celebrating International Women's Day on March 8 was started by a demonstration (“March of the Empty Pots”), which was held on this day in 1857 by women workers in the textile industry and clothing factories in New York to protest against terrible conditions labor and low wages. They demanded a shorter working day, improved working conditions, equal to men wages. At that time, women worked up to 16 hours a day, receiving pennies for their work. Liliana Kandell and Françoise Pic showed in their article that this fact is not confirmed, and the legend was probably invented in 1955 to separate the holiday tradition from communist ideology, which was important for women's rights activists in Western Europe and the United States in years of the Cold War. International Women's Day was popular around the world in the 1910s and 1920s, but then its popularity faded. For the first time, “March 8 Day” in Russia was celebrated in 1913 in St. Petersburg, as a popular event in Western society. In 1921, by decision of the 2nd Communist Women's Conference, it was decided to celebrate International Women's Day on March 8 in memory of the participation of women in the demonstration in St. Petersburg on March 8 (February 23, old style) 1917, as one of the events that preceded the February Revolution. Since 1966, in accordance with the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of May 8, 1965, International Women's Day has become a holiday and a non-working day. Gradually, in the USSR, the holiday completely lost its political overtones and connection with women’s struggle against discrimination (according to some points of view, a radical change in the meaning of the holiday in the public consciousness could be, to a greater or lesser extent, the result of the deliberate activities of the country’s political leadership, becoming “the day of all women” and acquiring modern features. This day is declared a national holiday in some former republics of the USSR, as well as in Angola, Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Cambodia, China, Congo (as a “holiday of Congolese women”), Laos, Macedonia, Mongolia, Nepal, North. Korea and Uganda. In Uzbekistan - Mother's Day; in Armenia, April 7 is celebrated as Motherhood and Beauty Day. Since 2002, International Women's Day has been celebrated in Russia as a “non-working holiday.” The celebration of March 8 in Russia includes the outdated “ritual” of giving flowers to women. gifts. According to VTsIOM, for the majority of Russians (regardless of gender, age and occupation) March 8 is, first of all, a women's holiday. This is how 66% of respondents described this day. According to 18%, March 8 is the holiday of the beginning of spring, 9% of respondents regard it as an international day of solidarity for working women, 8% as an additional day off, and 4% do not consider March 8 a holiday at all.

March 8 is World Women's Day, the holiday of love, female beauty, wisdom and tenderness. Today this day is considered a holiday of spring and attention to the female sex, regardless of her status and age. We thank women for being in our lives. On this day, it is customary to show attention to your beloved women, give them compliments, and delight them with care and gifts.

March 8 Wikipedia history of the holiday: versions of the appearance of the holiday

World Women's Day has not always been considered a spring holiday. Initially, it was associated with struggle in the political, economic and social fields. Then, the goal was to defend their rights and establish equality between men and women.

In 1966, in the USSR this day became not only a holiday, but also a non-working day. Over time, the holiday ceased to be tied to politics and women’s struggle for their rights, and simply became the March 8 holiday without any explanation.

There are several versions about how this holiday appeared.

According to the official version - “Day of Solidarity of Working Women”. According to tradition, celebrating March 8 was associated with the “March of Empty Pots.” It was carried out by textile workers from New York in 1857. They wanted to achieve equal rights, so they came out to protest against unacceptable working conditions and low pay.

In 1910 in Copenhagen, German communist Clara Zetkin raised the question of choosing one day a year when women could express their problems, thereby attracting society to pay attention to her. From the very beginning, the holiday was called the International Day of Women’s Solidarity in the Fight for Their Rights, and the date of March 8 referred specifically to the performance of working women.

According to the Jewish version, Clara Zetkin wanted the events associated with Women's Day to be connected with the history of the Jewish people. According to legend, Xerxes wanted to destroy all Jews, and Esther, who was his beloved, on the contrary, convinced him to destroy all Jewish enemies, including the Persians themselves. Glorifying Esther, Jews began to celebrate Purim, which fell on March 8 in 1910.

A version of the oldest female profession. This option is the most unpleasant for female representatives. According to this version, the protest that took place in New York in 1857 was attended not by textile workers, but by prostitutes. They insisted that the sailors who used their services be paid.

Such demonstrations were held in Paris in 1894, in Chicago in 1895 and in New York in 1896, Wordyou reports. This time, prostitutes demanded that they have the same rights as women in other professions. And in 1910, this day was nevertheless recognized as women's and international, as Clara Zetkin proposed.

March 8 Wikipedia history of the holiday: how the holiday is celebrated today

After the collapse of the USSR, the day of March 8 remained public holiday RF and is considered a day off. According to tradition, on this day the most desired and sought-after gift is flowers.

Fresh flowers are the most universal way to show attention to the woman you love.