Children’s Day in 2023: the history and traditions of the holiday

It so happened that on this day the long-awaited summer holidays begin for schoolchildren. Therefore, the little heroes of the occasion have twice as many reasons for joy.

And adults usually do not rest on Children’s Day, for them it is a full-time working day. Meanwhile, the date appeared on the calendar primarily for them, because the main purpose of the holiday is to tell all people about the problems and difficulties that children face, and to remind them of how important it is to protect their rights.

When is Children’s Day celebrated in 2023

For many s, it will not be difficult to answer when Children’s Day is celebrated, since this holiday is very loved in our country. Of course it is 1 June.

By the way, it is more correct to call the holiday International Children’s Day, since on June 1, celebrations are held in more than 60 countries.

Moreover, the holiday even has its own flag – a green canvas, on which five multi-colored schematic men (red, blue, black, white and yellow) are located around the symbol denoting our planet. Together, this symbolizes the unity and diversity of people living on Earth.

history of the holiday

The official birth year of the holiday is 1949. It was in November of that year that a special session of the International Democratic Women’s Federation was held in Paris, at which it was decided to establish Children’s Day. And they began to celebrate the holiday as early as next year: in 1950, celebrations were held in 51 countries of the world.

But why in 1949 there was such a need to establish a holiday dedicated to children? The fact is that after the Second World War, the situation of minors in different countries of the world was terrible: many of them lost their parents and shelter, so they were forced to live on the street, beg or steal. Some of the kids died of hunger, some of diseases. Of course, such a situation could not fail to attract the attention of caring people.

Why did they decide to celebrate Children’s Day on June 1, and not on the day the holiday was established (as is usually the case)? According to some reports, on June 1, 1925, the very idea of ​​​​a holiday dedicated to the younger generation was born. According to a popular story, on that day, the Chinese Consul General in San Francisco, USA, found in the city of his stay orphans who had come to the United States from the Middle Kingdom, and organized celebrations for them on the occasion of the Chinese national holiday, which symbolizes the beginning of summer, Duanwu (Dragon Boat Festival). ). The world community really liked the idea of ​​a diplomat from China. It is believed that this event contributed to the birth of the idea to establish a special holiday for children.

On June 1, 1925, another significant event took place. While the Chinese Consul General was helping orphans to gain faith in the best, the first international conference was held in Geneva, during which the problems of children were discussed. It is believed that this fact also played an important role in choosing the date for celebrating Children’s Day.

But let’s go back to the 50s of the 1959th century… The idea of ​​creating Children’s Day was appreciated by the UN. And by 1989, the world organization prepared the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, which, however, had only a recommendatory character. And in 13, the UN introduced the first international legal document relating to children – the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union signed this document on July 1990, XNUMX, and two months later it entered into force.

Holiday traditions

On June 1, many cities around the world organize various events in honor of Children’s Day. Usually these are concerts with performances by children’s creative groups, sports competitions, exhibitions of children’s drawings and competitions with prizes. On the streets and squares, bright balloons and gifts are handed out to children. In other words, adults do everything to please kids and teenagers.

TV channels on June 1 also try to please small viewers: they include children’s programs, films and cartoons in their programs.

But to please the children is not the only concern of adults on this day. On Children’s Day, it is customary to arrange various charity events and concerts. All money raised at such events goes to orphanages and hospitals (or other institutions where minors are waiting for help). For example, in 2012, the White Flower campaign was launched in St. Petersburg, the purpose of which is to help children with cancer.

Also on this day, volunteers and volunteers usually come to “visit” orphans who have lost their parents and left without guardians, disabled children, babies who are forced to be under the constant supervision of doctors, and give them gifts. Often, guests hold educational seminars for children, at which they talk in an accessible form, for example, about legal and legal literacy.

In addition, on Children’s Day, “round tables” are held, to which experts, officials and journalists are invited. Important issues are usually resolved at these meetings: how to help sick children, how to improve the living conditions of disadvantaged kids, and many others.

Educational events on this day are arranged for everyone. There the participants are reminded how important it is to take care of the younger generation, and they are told about the problems of minors.

Popular questions and answers

We tell you how to spend Children’s Day with benefit.