Defender's Day
February 23.
February 23 old style
So it is. 1913, when women first joined the Russian empire to his foreign friends in an effort to celebrate International Women's Day, the eighth of March the European calendar in our old style corresponded to 23 February. That, however, still no one seemed suspicious ...
We live, as they say in a difficult time. New holidays await us on every side: from the calendars of the various churches and denominations to nice dates distant and recent past of the state. Old "red days", in turn, are forced to gradually hand over positions. Sociological services exhausted, figuring out which of the holidays has / have lived in the consciousness of society, and what is / is not very much.
And on February 23 and March 8 - alive all alive! The first of these festivals even risen from the terminations under the new name of the Fatherland Defender Day, which does not prevent us women, have in mind by those of all men without exception. And the second ... Show us the policy of (the husband) who would dare to cancel it! ..
Each of our ... gender (as it is now called?) holiday has its own history. Official. And not only that.
Woman's Day
Let's start with the eighth of March. Not only because «lady is first»: Women's Day has a long tradition. Even in ancient Rome as the matrons and their slaves had their own holiday, when the first received gifts from men, the second - off and then they, and they went into the temple of Vesta, homemaker. This tradition has been and the Slavs - Mother's Day (which, incidentally, is now actively offer us as an alternative to the Eighth of March). In those days women have not seemed to limit their rights, reducing the responsibilities of motherhood and to preserve the hearth.
But times have changed. And March 8, 1857 several hundred workers of textile and shoe factories of New York held a strike and demonstration, demanding 10-hour workday, better working conditions and equal wages with men. Police dispersed demonstrantok, but they never gave up and joined a union. In honor of these events at the International Conference of Socialist Women in Copenhagen in 1910, Clara Zetkin ... etc. This official version is known to all.
However, meticulous historians found that the March 8, 1857 was ... Sunday. Agree, is not the best day for a strike. Moreover, next week in New York newspapers nobody thought of such a resonance action with hundreds of progressive ladies on the streets and ugly behavior of the police. Books on feminist and working-class movement in the U.S., too, oddly enough, are silent about the incident. And when in 1908 the Congress of the Socialist Party USA adopted a resolution to celebrate the last Sunday of February day American women, none of the delegates did not refer to the strike of half a century ago, just took a random day of the year.
And Clara Zetkin had already focused on what the U.S. women's day. Moreover, it first proposed to celebrate women's solidarity without interruption from the male staff - during the May holidays. History on May 1, too, as you know, dependent on the workers' strikes - in Chicago in 1886 - and the conflict with the police. However, that event, then-press wrote a lot, and the resonance was about a-go-go what! A demonstration of the New York workers, apparently, is just a myth invented much later: so to speak, the image and likeness ...
However, there are a few frivolous version according to which the strike was after all. However, the streets of his native city came not modest tekstilschitsy, shoemakers, and representatives of the profession, in which the textiles, and shoes are needed except that in the previous stage of the case. But you will agree, and women of this sort of activity had a right to demand better working conditions, increase its pay and shorter working hours. And, incidentally, closed on Sunday!
(Interestingly, the progressive party of ladies and housewives just directly connected with the present Jewish religious holiday - Purim. The fact that the famous red activist and friend Clara Zetkin and Rosa Luxemburg tied the proclamation of Women's Day with the woman who saved a people from death, and in the future of slavery - Esther (Esther), a Jewish woman, queen of Persia. In the year of the declaration of holidays, Purim was dropped on March 8.
Men's Day
Decree on the establishment of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army, Lenin signed a 15 (28) January 1918. However, the commemoration of the birth of the Army of 1919 for what reasons shifted and pointed out about a month later. Since then, and began life myth, February 23 - Days of the Red Army and RKKF he same day the Soviet Army and Navy, also known as Defender of the Fatherland.
Already in 1922, Leon Trotsky in the report on the fourth anniversary of the Red Army, said that on that day saw the release of SNK decree establishing it, the document actually appeared in the press already on 18-20 January. But this version was legalized and replicated in various publications. Later, when Trotsky's position shattered and his name is no longer associated with the birth of the Red Army in Soviet summit vital idea to postpone a holiday for the summer. But do not dare.
The Myth of February 23, 1918 overgrown different versions. As if on that day began to form the first detachments of the Red Army. Or that the peak of enthusiasm among those who joined its ranks, fell exactly on the 23rd. Or if on the eve of the upcoming holiday, Lenin appealed for help to military experts - the Tsar's army generals, and the next day, the resistance of the Kaiser's troops had already provided "an adult".
And in 1938, the anniversary of the Red Army, the official version like undecided: February 23, Red Army units were reportedly won the first impressive win over Germany's regular army at Narva and Pskov. Myth live a long time, although not withstand serious historical criticism. During the period of total denunciation of Stalin's personality it broke in the press, but the holiday has been. Approved a long tradition, enshrined victory in the Great Patriotic War, loved by the people.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union Day of the Soviet Army and Navy was over - for the lack thereof. One of the most festive holiday celebrated widely and in the state, has become a normal day on the calendar. Proposed same Ukrainian instead of Armed Forces Day - December 6, despite all attempts to popularize it among the masses, and remained very specific holiday, like the Day of the railway or metallurgist.
And the holidays - a stubborn thing. Cancel (that pun!) On February 23 over the former Soviet Union was seen as an insult, and many of the military with the experience, especially World War II veterans. And now Russia, and beyond that of Belarus and the Crimea, recreate it with a neutral title Defender of the Fatherland. And in 1999, and Ukraine, with a squeak has returned a holiday on February 23. And squeak - supposedly on the march revival of imperial tradition! - I'm still so far ...
And we, the women seem to not have noticed all these perturbations. Every year on February 23, we regularly congratulated, congratulations and pozdorovlyatimemo our men, including a purely civilian. After all, the country's total military service with the Army and Navy Day is naturally and gradually evolved into a day, men in general. What is undoubtedly true: if there is a women's day, as do without men?
... And the day of female and male solidarity
Still, men and women of the holiday very comfortably accommodated in one on the calendar. But in recent years in front of them successfully prilashtuvalosya third - day St. Valentine's Day. It turns out a terrific holiday marathon: First, we congratulate each other, loved ones, then we - you and then you - us. And who broke the race, he lost.
It is no secret that we perceive where on Feb. 23 as the guarantor of the upcoming March 8. Even in first grade, baking cookies with her mother to the "sweet table" and removing the cap from a piece of paper with the name of a hooligan, who have to sign a postcard, we girls knew: do not take place in two weeks, as the mother of boys, too, will bake us a cake and the robbers themselves, dividing us together, lay the on party souvenirs. And now, like little we launched colleagues on the 23rd, we believe that the 8-e obtain their bunches of snowdrops. Not that we were guided by selfish considerations: the men, we will truly love and appreciate! And do not doubt your feelings in response. Just like something quieter to realize that we will have gently reminded: soon Eighth March ...
Of course, our holidays are very different. On February 23 they write a serious analytical articles about him cross swords in discussions on the topic "To be or not be, try to discover all the new pages of historical blackmail and not bypass the modern political aspect. A March 8 otherwise - it has no one takes seriously. Modern feminists who do not cease to fight for women's equality, not only do not believe this day the basis for the demonstration of solidarity, but frankly do not like it. Like, this is the best festival highlights the depth of man's hypocrisy, it is - a kind of indulgence for the humiliation of women for the remaining 364 days of the year ...
You are wrong! If only because that person who can say without a hint of humor: "A woman is your day - the eighth of March!" Someday necessarily deny you, and on this day. Declares that Clara Zetkin for him not authority, and in general - do not know who out there on strike in New York. However, you can apply a pre-emptive strike, reminding him Feb. 23 that the Fatherland Defender's Day, and not the carrier of pants, and he once successfully dodged the military. And if not, but it unbecoming to comply with fake wills Trotsky and Stalin.
But it is better if neither you nor he will not need the following arguments. Let the base of each of our holidays is a historical myth - they are valuable in themselves. As an excuse to look at each other from different poles of humanity. See what we are strong and beautiful. And tell each other about it.
Do not forget: in the end, it's the same day - let the old style. A long day of female and male solidarity, without which the continuation of life on Earth.
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