On March 8, 1857, the famous "Empty Pot March" took place in New York City. Light industry workers went on strike, demanding a reduction in the sixteen-hour working day. Unbearably harsh working conditions and low pay forced women to take to the streets in protest. Their demands were heard, the result was a reduction in the working day to 10 hours.

On March 8, 1908, the Social Democratic Women's Organization of New York raised about 15,000 women to a rally demanding decent wages, a shorter working day, and suffrage. Marching women with slogans filled the streets of the city, calling on the public to listen to urgent problems. Since 1909, the Socialist Party of America has established Women's Day as the last Saturday in February.

On August 27, 1910, the Second International Socialist Women's Conference was held in Copenhagen, where fighters for women's equality from the United States met the communist Clara Zetkin, who proposed to elect March 8 as International Women's Day. A day officially approved so that on this day women can fight for their rights and be heard.

Since then, March 8 has been closely associated with the name of Clara Zetkin. Born Clara Eissner, the daughter of a German parochial school teacher, received a teacher education. In one of the political circles that were of great importance for the youth of that time, Clara met Osip Zetkin, her future husband and father of her two sons. Soon their revolutionary activities began to cause concern among the German authorities, and Osip was expelled from the country. The young moved to Paris. Clara - an attractive woman, very interesting, active, mobile - became friends with Laura Lafargue (daughter of Karl Marx) and learned a lot from her. In 1889 she was widowed and was able to return to Germany in 1890, where she became friends with another famous woman, Rosa Luxembourg. Together they led the left branch of the German Social Democrats. In the personal life of Clara, too, there were changes, Georg Zundel, a well-selling fashion artist, became her lover. The newly-made couple was able to purchase a house and a car. A beautiful, intelligent woman became one of the prominent socialists in Germany. V. I. Lenin liked to stay in her house. She became the editor of the newspaper "Equality", sponsored by the famous Robert Bosch, which only added to Clara's popularity. Her presence at the Copenhagen conference was quite natural and undeniable. In 1914, the alliance with Georg collapsed on the basis of political differences, the husband signed up as a volunteer for the front, while Clara was an ardent opponent of the war. She was a member of the Reichstag, led an active political life, and after Hitler came to power, she moved to the friendly Soviet Union. In 1932, she made her last political appeal to the Reichstag to oppose Nazism by all means and transferred the presidency to the majority faction. Hermann Goering. In the USSR, Klara died on June 20, 1933, she was cremated, the urn was placed in the Kremlin wall in Moscow.

It is believed that the date of March 8 was chosen as a tribute to the memory of 1857, for the sake of political events. But there is another version according to which Clara Zetkin chose this date more deeply and consciously. One Jewish legend, whether coincidentally coincided with the New York rally by day or by the will of providence. Esther, the beloved of the Persian king Xerxes, used her influence over him to save the Jewish people from destruction. This significant event in the history of the Jewish people took place on the day of Adar 13, which became the holiday of Purim. The date of the holiday according to the Jewish calendar is sliding, but in 1910 this day fell on March 8th.
After the Copenhagen convention in 1910, for several years International Women's Day in many countries was celebrated not on March 8, but on a date close to it. From the end of February to March 19th. Different countries dated this day to different historical events. In 1914, March 8 fell on a Sunday, so it was celebrated for the first time in six countries at once.

On March 8, 1917, in tsarist Russia, a decision was made to arrest the tsar and his entire family, overthrowing the autocracy. This day is considered the beginning of the February Revolution. Power was transferred to the Provisional Government and the Petrograd Soviet of Workers. Women actively participated in this coup, and in 1921, by decision of the 2nd Communist Women's Conference, it was decided to celebrate Women's Day on March 8, as a symbol of respect for women who helped overthrow the monarchy.

In 1966, by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, March 8 was officially recognized in our country as a "non-working day", a holiday for all women. The political subtext had already exhausted itself by that time.

Since 1975, the UN General Assembly has put forward a proposal to celebrate March 8 as a day of struggle for women's rights and international peace.

In our country, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, March 8 remained among the public holidays. And although the political coloring of this day has long been peeled off, Russian feminists hold rallies on this day, drawing attention to the problems of women.

The Orthodox Church is ambiguous in its judgments about Women's Day. Many church ministers urge not to forget that the day of March 8 is a revolutionary day, which entailed numerous sufferings for Orthodox people. This period was difficult and martyr for the church. In the post-Soviet period, the church appealed to ignore the holiday of the revolutionary woman, offering an Orthodox analogue of Women's Day, celebrated on the third week of Easter - the Week of the Holy Myrrh-bearing Women. But over time, when the church and society became united again, and the day of March 8 became the personification of Spring and Beauty, the disputes subsided. Later, on March 8, 1998, the uncovering of the relics of the Holy Matrona of Moscow, very revered by Orthodox people, took place. And that day became a great memorial day for the church.

As old as the world and known to all. Just in case, I checked with my colleagues and realized that many people know only the official version. On the eve of Women's Day, we decided to collect all the stories that, one way or another, relate to the creation of International Women's Day. Some of them may shock and even discourage you from celebrating this day at all.

Version one, official: Working Women's Solidarity Day

The official version of the USSR says that the tradition of celebrating March 8 is associated with the "march of empty pots", which was held on this day in 1857 by New York textile workers. They protested against unacceptable working conditions and low wages. It is interesting that in the then press there was not a single note about the strike. And historians have found that March 8, 1857 was a Sunday at all. It is very strange to go on strike on the weekend.

In 1910, at a women's forum in Copenhagen, the German communist Clara Zetkin called on the world to establish International Women's Day on March 8th. She meant that on this day women would organize rallies and processions, and thereby draw public attention to their problems. Well, we all know this story.

Initially, the holiday was called the International Day of Women's Solidarity in the Struggle for Their Rights. The date of March 8 was brought under the same strike of textile workers, which, in fact, may never have happened. More precisely, it was, but it was not the textile workers who were on strike. But more on that later.

This holiday was brought to the USSR by Zetkin's friend, the fiery revolutionary Alexandra Kollontai. The one that conquered the Soviet Union with the "great phrase": "You have to surrender to the first man you meet as easily as drinking a glass of water."

Version two, Jewish: praise of the Jewish queen

Historians have not agreed on whether Clara Zetkin was a Jew. Some sources claim that she was born in the family of a Jewish shoemaker, while others - a German teacher. Go figure it out. However, Zetkin's desire to connect March 8 with the Jewish holiday of Purim cannot be hushed up.

So, the second version says that Zetkin wanted to connect the history of Women's Day with the history of the Jewish people. According to legend, the beloved of the Persian king Xerxes, Esther, saved the Jewish people from extermination, using her charms. Xerxes wanted to exterminate all the Jews, but Esther convinced him not only not to kill the Jews, but, on the contrary, to destroy all their enemies, including the Persians themselves.

It happened on the 13th day of Arda according to the Jewish calendar (this month falls on the end of February - the beginning of March). Praising Esther, the Jews began to celebrate Purim. The date of the celebration was sliding, but in 1910 it fell on March 8th.

Version three, about women of the most ancient profession

The third version is perhaps the most scandalous for all the fair sex, who await International Women's Day with trepidation.

In 1857, in New York, women did protest, but they were not textile workers, but prostitutes. Representatives of the oldest profession demanded to pay salaries to sailors who used their services, but did not have the money to pay.

On March 8, 1894, prostitutes again demonstrated in Paris. This time they demanded recognition of their rights on an equal footing with those women who sew clothes or bake bread, and the establishment of special trade unions. This was repeated in 1895 in Chicago, and in 1896 in New York - shortly before the memorable congress of suffragettes in 1910, where it was decided to declare this day women's and international at the suggestion of Zetkin.

By the way, Clara herself carried out similar actions. All in the same 1910, together with her friend Rosa Luxembourg, she brought prostitutes to the streets of German cities demanding an end to police excesses. But in the Soviet version, prostitutes were replaced with "working women."

Why did they introduce March 8?

Many historians agree that March 8 is the usual political campaign of the Social Democrats.

At the beginning of the 20th century, women protested all over Europe. And in order to attract attention, they did not even need to show their breasts. It was enough just to walk through the streets with posters on which socialist slogans were written, and public attention was ensured. And the leaders of the Social Democratic Party have a tick, they say, progressive women are in solidarity with us.

Stalin also decided to add to his popularity and ordered to recognize March 8 as International Women's Day. But since it was difficult to tie it to historical events, the story had to be slightly corrected. And nobody really cared about it. Once the leader said - so it was.

TO THIS TOPIC

Following the holiday "Defender of the Fatherland Day", which until recently was celebrated on February 23, both International Women's Day - March 8, and Victory Day - May 9 can go into oblivion.

Each of us associates the holiday of March 8 with spring, flowers, beauty and tenderness. But few people know that initially this date had a political connotation, as it is the day when the revolutionaries announced their intention to fight for the whole world. How it was? How did the holiday of March 8 come about? We will talk about this in this article.

How it all began?

Back in 1857, in the city of New York, workers from factories producing shoes and clothes came out to a demonstration. At that time, their working day was a full 16 hours a day, and the wages were minimal, it did not even correspond to the living wage. The workers put forward the following demands: a ten-hour working day, improved working conditions (dry premises, new equipment), an increase in wages, the participation of women in And so, on March 8, 1857, hundreds of American workers came out to rallies. This protest march had positive results: employers revised the requirements for up to 10 hours. In addition, the first trade union organizations arose at many enterprises, headed by representatives of the weaker sex.

Where did the holiday of March 8 come from? We say "Thank you!" for this to Clara Zetkin

In 1910, a conference was held in Copenhagen, in which socialist women from many countries participated. Clara Zetkin, in her speech, proposed that the date of March 8 be declared International Women's Day. The idea of ​​the holiday was to show the whole world that women are ready and able to fight for their rights. Representatives of many countries supported this proposal. Since then, the revolutionary Clara Zetkin is considered the author of the idea of ​​\u200b\u200bcelebrating Women's Day.

The first "swallows"

Literally a year after the conference in Copenhagen, at the beginning of spring, Women's Day began to be celebrated in many countries. On March 19, 1911, this date was celebrated in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Denmark. More than one million people came out to the demonstration, both women and men. As a result of these activities, the working women won the right not only to participate in election campaigns, but also to hold leadership positions. In production activities, their work began to be valued and rewarded in the same way as the work of men. In 1912, this event was celebrated on May 12.

History of March 8 in Russia

In our country, International Women's Day was celebrated for the first time in 1913. It happened in St. Petersburg. On March 2, in the building of the Grain Exchange, scientific readings were held, where issues of the right to vote of women and the provision of motherhood were discussed.

The idea of ​​celebrating this date was brought to Russia by the revolutionary Alexandra Kollontai. In our country, she was supported by millions of women who are ready to equalize their rights with the strong half of humanity.

How did the holiday of March 8 appear in our country at such a difficult time for it? In the last days of February 1917, working women took to the streets of cities for rallies. In their hands were slogans with the inscriptions "Bread and Peace". In the same days, Tsar Nicholas II renounced power. The new government, among other promises, guaranteed equal rights for all women and men. This historical event happened on February 23, according to the old style. According to the new time reckoning, Gregorian, this is March 8.

The history of the holiday (as a state holiday) dates back to 1918. This date became a day off only in 1965.

On this day, solemn meetings were held at all enterprises, where representatives of the state authorities presented a report on the implementation of political programs regarding women. The best workers at these events were awarded with awards and valuable gifts. But over time, March 8 becomes just a women's holiday, losing its political meaning.

International Women's Day in the countries of the former USSR

Women's holiday in other countries: traditions

Continuing the theme of how the holiday of March 8 appeared, it is interesting to know how such a day is celebrated in different parts of the world. And the ideas for its implementation are quite unusual. For example, in China, Women's Day is a holiday only for the fair sex. The traditions of this country allow the ladies to walk and have fun, and the men go to work, and after that they also prepare a festive dinner. In Colombia, on this day, representatives of the strong half of humanity are forbidden to go out, so as not to spoil the holiday for women with their presence. In Italy, young ladies gather in large companies and noisily walk in places of entertainment without their soul mates, thus demonstrating independence and self-sufficiency.

How did the holiday of March 8 come about? From the article, you learned that the process of the emergence of International Women's Day was very difficult. But thanks to the courage and strength of women workers, we have the opportunity every year at the beginning of spring to celebrate a good date, symbolizing, in our understanding, beauty, tenderness and love.

Click to listen

March 8: unfeminine history of the holiday. The celebration of International Women's Day is usually associated with the leader (leader?) of the world communist movement, Clara Zetkin, who proposed introducing this day in 1910. It happened at the Second International Women's Conference in Copenhagen. . But few people know that the holiday was originally celebrated on March 19th. And in general, in different countries the date was “floating”, in Russia, for example, in 1913 it was celebrated on March 2. But starting from 1914, March 8 was already celebrated everywhere, because in the year the First World War began, it was March 8 that fell on Sunday, and the date was fixed. Some researchers associate this holiday with the Jewish Purim, when they remember Queen Esther, the wife of Xerxes, who prevented Jewish pogroms in Persia. The date of this holiday is also floating - but in 1910 it fell on March 8th. At the same time, some recall the famous Judith, and the day of the Zion (Babylonian) harlots ... Others say that back in 1848, the king of Prussia (as a result of the uprising of the workers on March 8!) among other things, promised women the right to vote. And then they remember another socialist - Elena Grinberg, who proposed a specific date. But, perhaps, another event is closest to the truth: on March 8, 1857, workers in the textile industry and clothing factories in New York, protesting against the low wages of women and poor working conditions, organized a march through the streets of Manhattan. Let me remind you that these women had to work 16 hours a day for a penny! Democracy after all... But after these protests, women were "equalized" in rights with men, and they received a 10-hour working day (like men !!!). On March 8, 1901, the first-ever protest march of women housewives took place in Chicago - the so-called "pot riot" or "march of empty pans". Using these dishes as drums, women achieved equal political rights, the opportunity to work in production without restrictions and infringements, but the most interesting thing is the right to serve in the army and police. Since then, all left-wing parties in the United States began to apply these requirements in their programs. So the date of the holiday and its reasons can be discussed for a long time. But the main fact is that after the victory of the Bolsheviks in October 1917, this day in Russia began to be celebrated annually. At the world level, it was fixed in 1921, when the 2nd Communist Women's Conference finally approved March 8 (February 23, old style !!!) in the USSR as International Women's Day. Why did they push back from February 23, why can all men be confused? It's simple - on February 23, 1917, thousands of women took to the streets of Petrograd demanding "bread and peace!" So what happened later was a unique coincidence of Defender of the Fatherland Day and International Women's Day with a difference in calendar styles. However, as smart people say, there are no coincidences. And although March 8 remained a working day for a long time, the Soviet government “celebrated” it in every possible way: it reported to the people about its achievements in the field of women’s rights, and in 1925, for example, discounts on galoshes were announced for women in the shops of the USSR! March 8 became a non-working holiday in the USSR in 1966. This was announced on May 8, 1965, on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War. And in 1977, the USSR convinced the UN to declare March 8 as International Women's Day. More precisely - the International Day for Women's Rights and International Peace. True, it is no secret that in the Western world - at least at the state level - this holiday did not become a holiday. It should be noted that in the late USSR and modern Russia, it ceased to have a political connotation. This is the day of universal male admiration for a woman. One of my friends from Germany in the mid-90s told me, looking at how bouquets were being sold on the eve of March 8: - Oh, tomorrow you have Russian Valentine's Day! To which I replied that this is not Valentine's Day for us, but we simply remind ourselves that without women we are nowhere, that everything rests on them, that men are strong in attack, and women are constant. And in general, we always love women, and March 8 is a kind of climax for us, in which there is no political or any other underlying reason. By the way, many foreigners, and especially foreign women from Western Europe and the United States, openly envied our women on March 8th. Journalists wrote about how Women's Day is celebrated in the USSR, and even in schools, boys lay bouquets and postcards on the desks of their classmates ... It is noteworthy that the Soviet Minister of Culture Furtseva even wanted to cancel this day (as far back as 1961!), considering it offensive to Soviet women. One way or another - the day of femininity remained with us. He remained in the space of the entire USSR in one form or another. Today, March 8 is officially celebrated in 31 countries around the world. But not in all countries March 8 is International Women's Day. This day is celebrated in the following countries: Azerbaijan, Angola, Armenia, Afghanistan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Vietnam, Guinea-Bissau, Georgia, Zambia, Israel, Italy, Cambodia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Kiribati, People's Republic of China (but weekday), North Korea (North Korea), Congo (Congolese Women's Day), Costa Rica, Cuba, Laos, Madagascar (day off for women only), Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Nepal, Poland, Russia, Romania, Serbia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Uzbekistan ("Mother's Day"), Ukraine, Croatia, Montenegro, Eritrea. It is celebrated in different ways ... For example, in seemingly socialist China, on March 8, it is customary to congratulate only elderly and honored party and public figures. The rest of the women on this day continue to build a bright future ... And here in Russia - after Europe's distortions towards same-sex marriages and other "gender equality", the day of March 8 also gained, as men now say, the "correct" meaning. This is the day of love for a woman... On one of those days, I ironically wrote: Once upon a time you took us out of paradise, To the ends of the earth, to the very, very ends... Why did you do it - I don't know to return at least for a while to paradise ... And how can the Earth not spin now, Without you, we definitely won’t return there!

The celebration of International Women's Day is usually associated with the leader (leader?) of the world communist movement, Clara Zetkin, who proposed introducing this day in 1910. It happened at the Second International Women's Conference in Copenhagen.

But few people know that the holiday was originally celebrated on March 19th. And in general, in different countries the date was “floating”, in Russia, for example, in 1913 it was celebrated on March 2. But starting since 1914 March 8 was already celebrated everywhere, because in the year the First World War began, it was March 8 that fell on Sunday, and the date was fixed.

Some researchers associate this holiday with the Jewish Purim, when they remember Queen Esther, the wife of Xerxes, who prevented Jewish pogroms in Persia. The date of this holiday is also floating - but in 1910 it fell on March 8th. At the same time, some recall the famous Judith, and the day of the Zion (Babylonian) harlots ... Others say that more in 1848 The king of Prussia (as a result of the uprising of the workers on March 8!) among other things, promised women the right to vote. And then they remember another socialist - Elena Grinberg, who proposed a specific date.

But, perhaps, another event is closest to the truth: on March 8, 1857, workers in the textile industry and clothing factories in New York, protesting against the low wages of women and poor working conditions, organized a march through the streets of Manhattan. Let me remind you that these women had to work 16 hours a day for a penny! Democracy after all... But after these protests, women were "equalized" in rights with men, and they received a 10-hour working day (like men !!!).

March 8, 1901 Chicago hosted the first-ever protest march of women housewives - the so-called "pot riot" or "march of empty pans". Using these dishes as drums, women achieved equal political rights, the opportunity to work in production without restrictions and infringements, but the most interesting thing is the right to serve in the army and police. Since then, all left-wing parties in the United States began to apply these requirements in their programs.

So the date of the holiday and its reasons can be discussed for a long time. But the main fact is that after the victory of the Bolsheviks in October 1917, this day in Russia began to be celebrated annually. At the world level, it was fixed in 1921, when the 2nd Communist Women's Conference finally approved March 8 (February 23, old style !!!) in the USSR as International Women's Day. Why did they push back from February 23, why can all men be confused? It's simple - it was on February 23, 1917 that thousands of women took to the streets of Petrograd demanding "bread and peace!" So what happened later was a unique coincidence of Defender of the Fatherland Day and International Women's Day with a difference in calendar styles. However, as smart people say, there are no coincidences.

And although March 8 remained a working day for a long time, the Soviet government “celebrated” it in every possible way: it reported to the people about its achievements in the field of women’s rights, and in 1925, for example, discounts on galoshes were announced for women in the shops of the USSR! March 8 became a non-working holiday in the USSR in 1966. This was announced on May 8, 1965, on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War. And in 1977, the USSR convinced the UN to declare March 8 as International Women's Day. More precisely - the International Day for Women's Rights and International Peace. True, it is no secret that in the Western world - at least at the state level - this holiday did not become a holiday.

It should be noted that in the late USSR and modern Russia, it ceased to have a political connotation. This is the day of universal male admiration for a woman. One of my friends from Germany in the mid-90s told me, looking at how bouquets were being sold on the eve of March 8:

- Oh, tomorrow is Russian Valentine's Day!

To which I replied that this is not Valentine's Day for us, but we simply remind ourselves that without women we are nowhere, that everything rests on them, that men are strong in attack, and women are constant. And in general, we always love women, and March 8 is our kind of climax, in which there is no political or any other underlying reason.

By the way, many foreigners, and especially foreign women from Western Europe and the United States, openly envied our women on March 8th. Journalists wrote about how Women's Day is celebrated in the USSR, and even in schools, boys lay bouquets and postcards on the desks of their classmates ... It is noteworthy that the Soviet Minister of Culture Furtseva even wanted to cancel this day (as far back as 1961!), considering it offensive to Soviet women.

One way or another - the day of femininity remained with us. He remained in the space of the entire USSR in one form or another. Today, March 8 is officially celebrated in 31 countries around the world. But not in all countries March 8 is International Women's Day. This day is celebrated in the following countries: Azerbaijan, Angola, Armenia, Afghanistan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Vietnam, Guinea-Bissau, Georgia, Zambia, Israel, Italy, Cambodia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Kiribati, People's Republic of China (but weekday), North Korea (North Korea), Congo (Congolese Women's Day), Costa Rica, Cuba, Laos, Madagascar (day off for women only), Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Nepal, Poland, Russia, Romania, Serbia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Uzbekistan ("Mother's Day"), Ukraine, Croatia, Montenegro, Eritrea. It is celebrated in different ways ... For example, in seemingly socialist China, on March 8, it is customary to congratulate only elderly and honored party and public figures. The rest of the women on this day continue to build a bright future ...

And here in Russia - after the distortions of Europe towards same-sex marriages and other "gender equality", the day of March 8 also gained, as men now say, the "correct" meaning. This is the day of love for a woman ... On one of these days, I ironically wrote:

Once you took us away from paradise,

To the ends of the earth, to the very, very ends ...

Why did you do it - I don’t know, Probably, so that loving and seducing,

To return us at least for a while to paradise ...

And now the Earth does not spin,

We won't be able to go back without you!

They are as old as the world and known to everyone. Just in case, I checked with my colleagues and realized that many people know only the official version. On the eve of Women's Day, we decided to collect all the stories that, one way or another, relate to the creation of International Women's Day. Some of them may shock and even discourage you from celebrating this day at all.

Version one, official: Working Women's Solidarity Day

The official version of the USSR says that the tradition of celebrating March 8 is associated with the "march of empty pots", which was held on this day in 1857 by New York textile workers. They protested against unacceptable working conditions and low wages. It is interesting that in the then press there was not a single note about the strike. And historians have found that March 8, 1857 was a Sunday at all. It is very strange to go on strike on the weekend.
In 1910, at a women's forum in Copenhagen, the German communist Clara Zetkin called on the world to establish International Women's Day on March 8th. She meant that on this day women would organize rallies and processions, and thereby draw public attention to their problems. Well, we all know this story.
Initially, the holiday was called the International Day of Women's Solidarity in the Struggle for Their Rights. The date of March 8 was brought under the same strike of textile workers, which, in fact, may never have happened. More precisely, it was, but it was not the textile workers who were on strike. But more on that later.
This holiday was brought to the USSR by Zetkin's friend, the fiery revolutionary Alexandra Kollontai. The one that conquered the Soviet Union with the "great phrase": "You have to surrender to the first man you meet as easily as drinking a glass of water."

Version two, Jewish: praise of the Jewish queen

Historians have not agreed on whether Clara Zetkin was a Jew. Some sources claim that she was born in the family of a Jewish shoemaker, while others - a German teacher. Go figure it out. However, Zetkin's desire to connect March 8 with the Jewish holiday of Purim cannot be hushed up.
So, the second version says that Zetkin wanted to connect the history of Women's Day with the history of the Jewish people. According to legend, the beloved of the Persian king Xerxes, Esther, saved the Jewish people from extermination, using her charms. Xerxes wanted to exterminate all the Jews, but Esther convinced him not only not to kill the Jews, but, on the contrary, to destroy all their enemies, including the Persians themselves.
It happened on the 13th day of Arda according to the Jewish calendar (this month falls on the end of February - the beginning of March). Praising Esther, the Jews began to celebrate Purim. The date of the celebration was sliding, but in 1910 it fell on March 8th.

Version three, about women of the most ancient profession

The third version is perhaps the most scandalous for all the fair sex, who await International Women's Day with trepidation.
In 1857, in New York, women did protest, but they were not textile workers, but prostitutes. Representatives of the oldest profession demanded to pay salaries to sailors who used their services, but did not have the money to pay.
On March 8, 1894, prostitutes again demonstrated in Paris. This time they demanded recognition of their rights on an equal footing with those women who sew clothes or bake bread, and the establishment of special trade unions. This was repeated in 1895 in Chicago, and in 1896 in New York - shortly before the memorable congress of suffragettes in 1910, where it was decided to declare this day women's and international at the suggestion of Zetkin.
By the way, Clara herself carried out similar actions. All in the same 1910, together with her friend Rosa Luxembourg, she brought prostitutes to the streets of German cities demanding an end to police excesses. But in the Soviet version, prostitutes were replaced with "working women."

Why did they introduce March 8?

Many historians agree that March 8 is the usual political campaign of the Social Democrats.
At the beginning of the 20th century, women protested all over Europe. And in order to attract attention, they did not even need to show their breasts. It was enough just to walk through the streets with posters on which socialist slogans were written, and public attention was ensured. And the leaders of the Social Democratic Party have a tick, they say, progressive women are in solidarity with us.
Stalin also decided to add to his popularity and ordered to recognize March 8 as International Women's Day. But since it was difficult to tie it to historical events, the story had to be slightly corrected. And nobody really cared about it. Once the leader said - so it was.