On February 23, Russia celebrates its men. Although this holiday has a military history, first celebrated around World War I, it has evolved into Russia’s somewhat odd counterpart for Women’s Day on March 8.
On February 23, Russian women (and sometimes men) celebrate the important men in their lives: fathers, brothers, teachers, and even coworkers. This holiday is also the Russian equivalent of Father’s Day in other western countries (which has not traditionally been celebrated in Russia).
History of Defender of the Fatherland Day
Defender of the Fatherland Day (or Men’s Day) is a truly Russian creation, first observed to mark the date of the creation of the Red (Soviet) Army in 1918. The holiday was originally known as Army Day. Red, and then the Soviet Army and Navy Day; In 2002, President Putin gave it its current name, Defender of the Fatherland Day, and declared it an official public holiday.
Although some more feminist societies may encounter problems with the concept of celebrating a “Men’s Day”, in Russia it is not considered strange, offensive or inappropriate. While Russian society can be quite (frustratingly) patriarchal, however, both genders widely accept that both men and women have worked hard for Russia’s prosperity and success. Men, in particular, helped to do so by fighting wars, and their military achievements are the reason for this day.
However, even if the men in one’s life have not been involved in warfare, it is still considered courteous and important to at least acknowledge them on February 23rd. In part, this is because Women’s Day is so highly celebrated, as forgetting to celebrate Women’s Day is considered quite rude in Russia, and Men’s Day is a way of acknowledging that men and women are important to each other. for each other. Men’s Day celebrations are typically smaller and more superficial than Women’s Day, except for public celebrations and parades, which are conversely much larger for Men’s Day.
Public celebrations
Although the day has become a way to celebrate men as a whole, public celebrations on February 23 remain focused on Russian soldiers and military achievements. In particular, parades and ceremonies throughout Russia honor soldiers of the past, present, and war veterans; Military stories and movies are shown on television. In this way, the holiday is similar to Remembrance Day in Canada and Veterans Day in the USA.
Private celebrations
Unlike public celebrations (focused on the army), private celebrations of “Defender of the Fatherland” Day are not related at all to military achievements, unless an important man in life is or has been a soldier .
On February 23, women give the important men in their lives gifts of appreciation. These gifts can range from relatively small and impersonal (socks, cologne) to expensive (watches and accessories) and highly personal (travel, experiences). Flowers and chocolate are generally not given to anyone on this day. Often times, women will cook a celebratory dinner at home. It is not common for couples to go out to celebrate this day, unlike Women’s Day. At school, children sometimes bring cards for their teachers and do themed arts and crafts projects to take to their parents and grandparents.
Office celebrations
Since most offices and workplaces are closed on February 23, as it is a public holiday, many offices have a small celebration the day before or after. The men usually receive small gifts and everyone celebrates with a glass of champagne and sometimes a slice of cake. Co-workers generally don’t buy gifts for each other unless they are very close friends.
Important words and phrases of men’s day
Here are the phrases in Russian you need to greet an important man in your life on February 23
- Feliz día del hombre: Happy Men Day! [s DNYOM muzhCHIN]
- Feliz 23 de febrero: C 23 (twenty-third) February! [s DVAdtsyat TRETyim fevraLYA]
