When is Circus Day?
Circus Day 2023 falls on 15 April. This holiday has been celebrated annually on the third Saturday of April since 2010.
history of the holiday
Since ancient times, people have been looking for entertainment. In Our Country, there were wandering artists – buffoons, whose direct duty was to entertain the people, they all combined the skills of actors, trainers, acrobats, jugglers. The ancient frescoes depict images of fisticuffs, tightrope walkers, and musicians. Performances were held in crowded places – fairs, squares. Later, “booths” appeared – comic theatrical performances with the participation of strong men, jesters, gymnasts. It was they who laid the foundation for circus art.
The world’s first circus appeared in England in the mid-18th century thanks to Philip Astley, who built a riding school in 1780. To attract the attention of new students, he decided to hold performances of professional riders. His idea was so successful that in the future he was able to purchase a domed building, which was called the Astley amphitheater. In addition to the performances of riders, they began to show the skills of jugglers, acrobats, tightrope walkers, clowns. The popularity of such performances led to the emergence of traveling circuses – big tops. They were collapsible and transported from city to city.
The first circus was created by the Nikitin brothers. And even then it was not inferior in terms of entertainment to foreign ones. In 1883 they built a wooden circus in Nizhny Novgorod. And in 1911, thanks to them, a capital stone circus appeared. From them the foundations of modern circus activity in Our Country were laid.
Today, the circus combines not only classical performances, but also digital technologies, laser and fire shows.
To celebrate the huge contribution that circus art has made to the cultural development of society, the European Circus Association has taken the initiative to hold a holiday – International Circus Day. Circus organizations from many countries, such as Australia, Belarus, Our Country, Spain, Italy, Germany, France, Ukraine, etc., have joined the annual celebration.
Traditions
Circus Day is a celebration of joy, laughter, entertainment, and most importantly, incredible skills, courage, talent and professionalism. Traditionally, performances are held on this day: trained animals, acrobats, clowns, dancers, special effects – this and much more can be seen under the circus dome. Interactive shows and unusual master classes are organized. All events are aimed at making everyone feel involved in the incredible atmosphere of the holiday, magic, fun and good mood.
Interesting facts about the circus
- The arena in the circus is always the same diameter, regardless of the number of seats and the size of the building. Moreover, such standards exist all over the world. The diameter of the arena is 13 meters.
- The first Soviet clown is Oleg Popov. In 1955 he toured abroad. His speeches were a great success, they were attended even by royalty.
- The most dangerous animal to train is the bear. He does not show discontent, which is why he can attack quite suddenly.
- In 2011, the Sochi Circus set a record for the tallest pyramid of people on the backs of moving horses. The pyramid consisted of 3 people, and its height reached 4,5 meters.
- The leader of the circus program is called the ringmaster. He announces program numbers, participates in clown productions, monitors compliance with safety rules.
- In 1833, an American trainer performed an extremely dangerous trick – he put his head in the mouth of a lion. Queen Victoria was so delighted with what she saw that she attended the performance five more times.
- Advertising circus performances has always played a major role in filling the hall. Traveling circuses used posters, and also walked along the main streets of the city in stage costumes to the sounds of an orchestra, accompanied by trained animals, inviting them to visit the circus.
- The round shape of the arena was invented for the horses. Indeed, for horse riders, juggling, or performing acrobatic numbers, it is necessary that the horse walks smoothly, and this can only be achieved with this form of arena.