World Bee Day 2023: the history and traditions of the holiday

The striped laborers, who live in families and are busy pollinating flowers and collecting nectar, received their own holiday a few years ago. Bees are highly organized insects, the vital activity of which is extremely important not only for human health, but also for ecosystems in which they are an essential link. Healthy Food Near Me tells who and when celebrates Bee Day in Our Country and the world in 2023.

When is the day of bees in Our Country and the world

Bee Day is celebrated annually at the same time – 20 May. This world holiday owes its appearance to the person from whom the development of modern beekeeping began – the Slovenian artist and enthusiastic beekeeper Anton Janša.

history of the holiday

Bees are ancient creatures dating back over 50 million years. It is believed that the first honey bees appeared from wasps, which, as a result of a long evolution, switched from animal food to plant food in feeding offspring, bringing them nectar and pollen. The appearance of insects began to change, and hunting instincts gave way to the need to collect food from flowers and feed the brood.

At first, the bees collected nectar from plants randomly, but over time, thanks to the same evolution, the insects developed a pattern of visiting flowers of the same species. They began to distinguish them according to certain characteristics: aroma, color, shape. Systematic pollination also affected the diversity of the plant world – bees, without knowing it, became the cause of the development of flora on our planet.

Insects have learned to form communities and multiply quickly. The offspring left their homes and developed new territories. Gradually, the bees developed a “family way of life”, a division of duties, they began to linger longer in their familiar places, looking for more comfortable dwellings.

Bees have now reached the highest level of evolution among insects living on the planet.

It is not surprising that people became interested in such beautiful and developed creatures. People have been studying and domesticating bees for many decades, achieving great success in this matter. The products produced by the beekeeping industry are used by millions of people on the planet.

One of the most important people in the field of breeding and studying bees was the Slovenian artist and beekeeper Anton Jansa. He devoted his whole life to his passion and left many achievements and discoveries in this field to his followers. The advice and developments of the eminent beekeeper are still actively used all over the world.

The numerous merits of Anton Janša in the field of beekeeping prompted the Republic of Slovenia in 2017 to put forward a proposal to establish a world holiday – the Day of the Bees. The beekeeper’s birthday, May 20, was chosen as the date.

Traditions

Bee Day in Our Country in 2023 will be fun and noisy. By May 20, fairs and exhibitions are often timed, where beekeepers come to share their secrets and achievements in this area. Well, ordinary visitors to such events will not be able to leave here without a jar of excellent honey.

Interesting Facts

• More than 15 thousand varieties of bees have been studied around the world.
• About 150 kg of honey gives one hive for a year of fruitful work.
• To produce 1 kg of honey, bees need to fly around 8 million flowers.
• In winter, bees eat only honey and eat about 30 kg during this period.
• A bee recognizes the smell of nectar at a distance of a kilometer.
• A bee can lift up to 30 times its own weight.
• When a bee’s belly is stuffed with nectar, it loses its ability to sting.
• Workaholics from different hives will not be able to fly into each other’s houses, as they will immediately be attacked by defender bees.
• The bee has 5 eyes.
• The bee dies as soon as it releases its sting, unlike the wasp.
• The queen bee lays up to a thousand eggs daily.
• During a fire, the bee begins to stock up on honey even more. At this moment, the instinct of self-preservation is activated. That is why smoke is used in beekeeping. However, in everything you need to know the measure. Too much smoke can make them angry
• Bees warn their relatives about the presence of nearby food by performing a special dance based on flying around their axis.
• The bee always finds its way home, even if it flies a long distance.
• The composition of the nectar includes glucose, sucrose and fructose.
• Among the bees you can meet albinos – they are distinguished by white eyes.
• A loaded bee can reach speeds of up to 65 km/h.
• Communication between bees occurs with the help of pheromones and various movements.
• During a long flight, a bee can eat about half of the collected nectar.
• During one honey harvest, a bee flies a path equal to the distance from the Earth to the Moon.
• The main pest for bees is the hawk moth. She deftly copies the sound of the queen bee, confusing the rest of the bees.