INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

08 March 2021

On March 08 Russia celebrates International Women's Day, which is a public holiday and a day-off. For the first time this holiday was celebrated in 1911 in four countries - Austria, Germany, Denmark and Switzerland. In 1913, Women's Day was first celebrated in Russia, namely in St. Petersburg. The tradition of holding the holiday on March 08 began to strengthen after in 1914 women of Austria-Hungary, Germany, Denmark, Netherlands, Switzerland, Russia, United States and other countries held protest or solidarity rallies on that very day. It is generally accepted that the date was chosen in memory of the major strikes of women workers in textile factories in the United States, which took place on March 8 in 1857 and 1908.

In Soviet Russia, this day has been celebrated as an official holiday since 1919. In the early years of Soviet power, it was called the International Day of Working Women. Since the late 1920s, it has become known as International Women's Day.

Currently, International Women's Day is one of the most popular and widely celebrated Russian holidays. On this day, men congratulate women, girls and grandmothers and make gifts to them. In addition, men traditionally give bouquets of flowers, among which, of course, the first spring flowers prevail - tulips, daffodils and mimosas. Also, on this day, human rights organizations every year use the holiday as an occasion to raise important social issues for women.