We celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8th every year – this is the salute of the fair sex, which many consider to be not only more beautiful but also stronger than the other!
International Women’s Day is a day of respect and appreciation for women, celebrated on March 8 each year for over 100 years. But where does this holiday come from, and what are its habits?
Women’s Day: strikes, uprisings, labor law
Who would have thought that one of the most beautiful holidays of spring had begun with a strike? Yet, in 1857, hundreds of women marched on the streets of New York demanding more humane working conditions and higher wages for their work. With the development of the labor movement, the issue of women’s emancipation came to the fore, women gradually gained more rights, and in 1909 they also held the first International Women’s Day – albeit only in the United States, and on the last Sunday in February, which fell on February 28th. Women’s Day soon became international, but it really became known when, on March 8. 1917, celebrating the last Sunday of February in their own Gregorian calendar, hundreds of women demonstrated for bread and peace in Russia. Partly as a result of the protest, Tsar II. Nicholas has resigned, and a civil government were formed in the country, which finally gave women the right to vote – and thus the date of Women’s Day was finalized.
Women’s Day: celebration of the communist world order
Hungary joined the International Women’s Day in 1913. The Rákosi regime in the Fifties then made it mandatory to celebrate Women’s Day – a myth that made Women’s Day a “communist holiday.” Power was very much needed to celebrate women, as the economy, which was in many respects weak, would simply have collapsed without the large numbers of women in the workforce. Back then, red carnations were given to women at home, at the workplace, often accompanied with a solemn celebration in the company cantine.
Women’s day today
After the change of regime in 1989, Women’s Day has lost its character as a labor initiative, and for three decades now, it has been a day of celebrating, respecting and appreciating women in most parts of the world. However, in many countries gender equality, the need for equal pay, and even violence against women are still being included in women’s day celebrations as topics, indicating that women’s rights still need adjustment in many places.
Women’s Day habits
As Women’s Day is the first messenger of spring, the flower giving gesture also celebrates the arrival of the most beautiful season. In many countries, there are unique associations of flowers for women’s day: in Italy, for example, a yellow mimosa is donated to women, since when a communist leader: Teresa Mattei felt that Italy would need a symbol of its own against the French lily. In Berlin, Women’s Day is a public holiday, while in Hungary it has been long celebrated primarily with the snowdrop, the first flower of spring, and the red carnation mentioned above.
What to give to ladies?
On Women’s Day, many people ask themselves: what kind of flower is an ideal gift for ladies? The answer is simple: fresh ones! Do not give snowdrops, as the plant is protected, so it is forbidden to sell it even if it is grown in your own garden. Red roses are only recommended on Women’s Day if we would like to express our passionate feelings – it is less fortunate therefore to give it to a coworker. A lovely bouquet of fresh flowers in pastel colors is the perfect gift for any lady, but a fragrant hyacinth in pots or a beautiful flower box is exactly as good – possibly in combination with chocolate or other lasting gifts.
You can find many women’s day gift ideas in our webshop, and our experts are at your disposal with additional tips at our stores!
