8 March is International Women's Day.
I am sorry that this post is late. I was pretty tied up for three days. Parties & celebrations started last Friday and finished yesterday. March 8 fell on a Sunday so the holiday was extended till 9th so everybody had a long weekend.
I had party with colleagues, met friends, had a date with my Bear and celebrated with his family.
I'd like to share with you a picture story of Women's Day in Russia. If on Men's Day men were adored, it is now their time to return the favor (2x more hehe). Well you see, Russian men love to pamper their women with flowers & presents. They also like taking care of them as women. And on this special day, they play like "slaves" starting from house chores to nagging. They "have no rights to complain". It is not a must but it is some game which everybody enjoys playing. It's women's day - it is every man's mother's day. Whatever kind of man there is, he has a mother who bore him. So it is like a "gratitude" day as well apart from other reasons that entails the celebration of Women's Day.
I have found some old Soviet posters of Women's Day celebration. I find them interesting, very different from nowaday's.
Like I said, it is also s day of appreciating mothers, like Mother's Day in other countries. Children made cards and handicrafts for their mothers. Boys brought flowers.
The picture above is how the contemporary world sees this holiday. It's more of a funny, sexy lover approach.
What I like most about this day is not the fact that I am a woman myself and that I am being celebrated & showered with presents.
I like the fact that I am seeing. Men, from different walks of life soften on this day and take time to appreciate women in any way they can. A man can be a bouncer, a butcher a drunk, a child, a grandpa, all of them have one mission to accomplish at this very day. To show women they care about them.
And all women of ages, a child, lady, pregnant or grandma are all going to receive something on this day.
Flowers...overflowing flowers. Chocolates & presents. It makes my heart sing seeing men in the shops, enthusiastic, bothered, confused but all eager to find something they can give the women in their lives.
Everyone's happy. Everything seems to be a fairytale. But what is really happening in the real sense?
Being a woman on a women's day in Russia means you can be a demanding queen to drama queen. Your wish is men's command (at most times but quite strongly at this particular day).
You can ask to be painted even if your man is not an artist. Some men reserve this day for a surprise proposal (some of those who wish to be proposed but haven't been of course end up disappointed). Husbands volunteer to do the house chores and sometimes lead to "disaster" which means that there's a lot of cleaning up to do for the wife right after the holiday (so better pass:).
Mascots on the road giving out flowers to every woman they see. I received one last year. This year was colder and I stayed indoors. Every woman cashier is greeted by every man customer. A woman who was caught violating traffic rules are pardoned on this day and receives a flower from the traffic police instead of fine. Oh you can imagine some single women do it on purpose :) *wink*
Programs organized by boys are held in the universities or in the offices. It is to pay tribute to female coeds and colleagues (and course it calls for a reason to ... "cheers" & get drunk in the office :)
They are also becoming more & more creative each year. Starting from breakfast designs
to presents made easy.
Translates: Just like that. Why do men think a lot. :)
Maybe the person who received this spent big on men's day so now is receiving the money back...2x more hehe.
I love Women's Day! I feel happy seeing people around me happy. Just a smile on their faces makes my life much easier. (you know what I'm talking about if you've read my old post about smiling in Russia. :)
note: all the above photos are from the internet.
P.S. Here's a glimpse of some that I received :)
Linking this post to:
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