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The International Olympic Movement plays a significant role in the world. Its history spans a century and a quarter. Naturally, for such a solid time, the movement has “overgrown” with all sorts of traditions and attributes revered in all countries.
In June, Our Country and other countries will host International Olympic Day 2023. This date will be discussed in this article.
When is International Olympic Day 2023?
The date of the holiday is fixed. International Olympic Day in 2023 will be celebrated, as always, 23 June.
History of International Olympic Day
The year of the revival of the modern Olympic Games (1896) should be known to every schoolchild today. But not everyone will be able to name the date of the International Olympic Day. The decision to establish it was made in January 1948 during the 42nd session of the International Olympic Committee. The idea itself appeared a year earlier – at the previous IOC session in Stockholm. In the post-war period of the middle of the last century, the role of international organizations sharply increased. Mankind, learning the lessons of the most terrible war in history, began to understand that it is better to conduct a dialogue between peoples than to rattle weapons. And any form of propaganda of humanistic ideas began to be used in full.
The date for the International Olympic Day was determined simply. It was on June 23, 1894 that the father of the modern Olympic movement, the French baron Pierre de Coubertin, announced the creation of the largest sports organization in the world – the IOC. And a little more than fifty years after this event, in 1948, representatives of nine national Olympic committees of Europe, South and North America took part in the celebration of the International Olympic Day.
Like many memorable dates of public organizations, the International Olympic Day did not immediately take root in the calendar. There is little information about his subsequent celebrations. The world was shaken by global changes, and only in 1957 the date was remembered again. Twenty years later, as an addition to the basic Olympic law – the Olympic Charter – the IOC officially recommended that various sports and educational events be held on June 23.
Traditions of the International Olympic Day
Modern traditions of the International Olympic Day have developed more than thirty years ago. On June 23, 1987, the first ten-kilometer Olympic race was held in forty-five countries of the world in the name of popularizing mass sports. To date, the number of countries organizing such mini-marathons on this and the coming days has grown to two hundred. Races are especially popular in African countries. This is understandable: Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda are world leaders in marathon races. Runners bring their countries a lot of precious metal at the Olympic Games.
Naturally, not everywhere on June 23 people run ten kilometers. Local NOCs are free to adjust the length of the course at their own discretion. Thus, an increasing number of people on the planet are becoming involved in the International Olympic Day.
The June Olympic date has long outgrown the scope of an exclusively competitive event. The ideals of the international Olympic movement on this day are promoted through meetings with famous athletes, seminars, lectures for the younger generation, thematic exhibitions, and show programs. All this contributes to attracting people to a healthy lifestyle.
How International Olympic Day is celebrated in Our Country
The Federation, of course, also cannot stay away from this date. Even in the difficult year of 2020, the Olympic Committee held a resonant online marathon from the studio in its Innovation Center. The participants of the event were welcomed by prominent sports figures.
The celebration of the International Olympic Day is quite popular in educational institutions. It can be kindergartens working in the summer, summer school camps. In the latter, competitions in various disciplines, relay races, fun starts serve as an ideal scenario for holding an event.