Monday, March 8, 2010

Happy Women's Day!

So before I dive into my women's day I thought perhaps that some people may want to know the history behind the holiday! Below is cut and pasted from an email I received about the holiday from a gentleman at the consulate- hopefully no copy write infringement with posting it!
A Little Background on International Women’s Day

1908
Oppression and inequality spur women to become more vocal and active in campaigning for change. 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding shorter hours, better pay and voting rights.

1909
In accordance with a declaration by the Socialist Party of America, the first National Woman's Day (NWD) was observed across the United States on 28 February. Women continued to celebrate NWD on the last Sunday of February until 1913.

1910
In 1910 a second International Conference of Working Women was held in Copenhagen. A woman named Clara Zetkin (Leader of the 'Women's Office' for the Social Democratic Party in Germany) tabled the idea of an International Women's Day. She proposed that every year in every country there should be a celebration on the same day - a Women's Day - to press for their demands. The conference of over 100 women from 17 countries, representing unions, socialist parties, working women's clubs, and including the first three women elected to the Finnish parliament, greeted Zetkin's suggestion with unanimous approval and thus International Women's Day was the result.

1911
Following an agreement reached at Copenhagen in 1911, International Women's Day (IWD) was observed for the first time in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland on 19 March. More than one million women and men attended IWD rallies campaigning for women's rights to work, vote, be trained, to hold public office and end discrimination.

1913
On the eve of World War I, Russian women observed their first International Women's Day on the last Sunday in February,1913. International Women's Day was moved to 8 March, a day that remained the global date for International Women's Day ever since.




Now i had not heard about the Holiday before moving to Russia- but I must say it is a great day- much like our Valentines Day men are expected to give flowers, chocolate or other special treats to women. My special husband decided to partake in the celebration too! I had been eyeing/ talking about/ begging for one particular tea cup since the day we arrived- and to my surprise Josh surprised me with it today! Isn't my "Winter fairy tale" cup beautiful!



My husband wouldn't be my husband if he didn't always have an extra treat up his sleeve :)
If I wasn't overjoyed enough- Josh decided to truly spoil me and double surprise me with this beautiful tea cup and tea pot set! Happy Women's Day to me!!!!

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