Women’s Day in Russia

Women’s Day in Russia is celebrated on March 8th and is also celebrated in many other countries of the world. The origins of the holiday have certain political connotations and are connected with the struggle of women for the equality of their rights and emancipation. Women’s Day in Russia was first celebrated in St. Petersburg in 1913. In 1921 it was decided to establish this holiday in commemoration of women’s participation in the street demonstration in Petrograd in on March 8, 1917. Since 1966 Women’s Day in Russia has been a non-working day. Today it’s free of any political meaning and is observed by all Russian girls and women. Международный женский день (mye-zhdu-na-ROD-ny ZHEN-sky DYEN), International Women’s Day, has become a national holiday in Russia. Women’s Day in Russia is mostly associated with the popular tradition of giving flowers: you can see smiling girls and women carrying bouquets of roses, tulips, etc. everywhere in the streets. Not surprisingly, many Russians call March 8^th the “Day of Spring and Flowers”. Women’s Day in Russia is full of positive emotions, pleasant surprises, and gifts for women. Men are unsparing in giving compliments and congratulations to the women they love and seem to enjoy celebrating this holiday, too!