Myths about the holiday of March 8

Throughout the post-Soviet space, starting from school age, the holiday of March 8 was extremely loved and revered by women – from young to old. However, let’s talk about this holiday calmly and without emotions.

First of all, let’s discard the communist myth that this holiday is “international”. This is wrong. Nowhere, except for the post-Soviet space, it is celebrated. True, this space itself is now divided into 15, to one degree or another, independent states, but still …

Secondly, one should resolutely reject the myth that March 8th is just Jewish Purim, imposed on the Orthodox world by the Jewess Zetkin. And the point here is not that the date of Purim slides along the calendar, just like the date of Orthodox Easter, and its coincidence with March 8th can only be accidental. The main thing is that Clara Zetkin is not a Jewess at all, but a purebred German, moreover, the daughter of a Lutheran pastor.

The maiden name of the founder of feminism is Eissner. She received the surname Zetkin from her first husband, an emigrant from Russia, Osip Zetkin. He died of tuberculosis in absolute poverty, 9 years after the wedding, leaving Clara with two children in her arms. Subsequently, the widow married a second time – to a man much younger than himself, who invested all his money (and he had a lot of them) in her journalistic activities.

A true legend around which has developed celebration of March 8, these are the events of 1857 in the USA. Then, for the first time in history, a purely female protest demonstration took place, the so-called “march of empty pots.” Textile and clothing workers in New York to protest unacceptable working conditions and low wages. They demanded a shorter working day, improved working conditions, equal wages with men. These women at that time worked up to 16 hours a day, and their work was low-paid.

This legend has been completely refuted by modern researchers. And here is an undeniable fact. “On March 8, 1908, at the call of the New York Social Democratic Women’s Organization, a rally was held with slogans about the equality of women. On this day, more than 15,000 women marched through the city, demanding a reduction in the working day and equal pay conditions with men. In addition, a demand was put forward for granting women the right to vote” (“Wikipedia”).

The celebration of Women’s Day by Americans on the last Sunday of February also penetrated Europe, and then spread to the expanses of the former USSR. Until 1965, Women’s Day was celebrated by socialist and communist countries, and many others.

In 1977, at the General Conference of the United Nations, March 8 was declared “Women’s Rights Day around the World”.

It should be noted that modern women no longer perceive the “political” background of the holiday date. The eighth of March is just another reason for men to show signs of attention to their surroundings, to all their beautiful ladies (mothers, wives, daughters and girlfriends).

Happy holiday, dear women!

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