Then vs. Now

   I'm sure there isn't a person who hasn't heard of March 8th, but not everyone knows what really happened on this day. I asked several people if they knew what was celebrated on March 8, and of course the answer was the one I expected: "It's the day when the woman is celebrated". Well, indeed, it is, but there is also a reason why it is celebrated on this day. International Women's Day, marked on March 8, was at the beginning an expression of the desire of working women to acquire some rights, but, over time, it turned into an occasion to celebrate femininity and representatives of the fairer sex, regardless of religion and race.         

  Then

March 8, the day when women did not receive flowers and fought for some basic rights

    Appearing in a time of great social unrest, International Women's Day was also chosen with the legacy of traditional protest and political activism. 

    In the years before 1910, quite a few women in industrially developed countries worked. Their jobs, mostly in the field of textiles and domestic services, were subject to sexual discrimination and were paid much worse than those of men. Trade unions appeared, and from here to the industrial riots it was only a step. 

     In the US, oppression and discrimination have led women to become increasingly involved in campaigns to bring about change. In 1908, 15,000 women demonstrated in New York demanding shorter work hours, better wages and the right to vote. 

     In 1910, the Second International Conference of Working Women was held in Copenhagen. A woman named Clara Zetkin, leader of the women's organization of the Social Democratic Party of Germany, brought up the idea of establishing an International Women's Day, a holiday to be marked on the same day in all countries, in support of women's struggle for rights theirs, an idea that was approved. Thus, on March 19, 1911, the first International Women's Day was celebrated in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. More than a million women and men participated in demonstrations on this day for women to be granted rights related to work, the right to vote, education and to hold public offices. 

     At the dawn of the First World War, during the campaigns for peace, Russian women first celebrated International Women's Day on the last Sunday of February 1913. In the same year, after consultations and discussions, International Women's Day was moved to March 8 . In 1914, women across Europe demonstrated against the war and for solidarity between women. 

     Since its emergence within the socialist movement, International Women's Day has gained more and more recognition from year to year, coming to be celebrated in developed and developing countries alike. Thus, 1975 was declared the "International Year of Women" by the United Nations (UN). Starting this year, International Women's Day was adopted by many of the Governments of countries that until then had not even heard of its existence.

The most famous legends about March 8

1. The most common legend of March 8 involves a fire that broke out on March 8, 1857 in a shirt factory in New York called "Cotton", where many female workers lost their lives. Legend has it that those women were locked inside the factory to prevent them from participating in the strike, and that when the fire started, they had no way to escape, perishing in the flames. There were many mimosa bushes growing near that factory and that's why this flower became official for Women's Day.

2. Legend has it that the beloved of the Persian king Xerxes, the Jewish niece Hadassah, who took the name Esther, saved the Jewish people from destruction due to the beauty and purity of her heart. Praising Esther, the Jews began to celebrate Purim. Over the years, the celebration of this date had slipped, but in 1910 it fell exactly on March 8.

3. Another interesting story about why March 8 was chosen as the date of women's celebration is this: Clara Zetkin and Rosa Luxemburg decided that the number 8 most closely resembles the female form. Therefore, they decided to establish a feast on the 8th day.

4. The origins of International Women's Day can also be found in ancient Roman culture, when free women and girls would go to the Goddess Vesta for blessings, put on their best clothes and the most expensive jewelry to show the favor of the gods, and husbands and fathers would make them small gifts in honor of this holiday.

         Now

      Nowadays, March 8 is an official holiday in more than 25 countries, but it is widely observed in many other countries. It should be noted that if we were to ask the male gender what March 8 means to them, they would answer that "it is the day when I MUST buy flowers for the woman" (flowers should be offered without any occasion) or that "it is the day I HAVE to please the woman”. 

        Yes, indeed for some men it is a real torment when it comes to this day because they have a totally wrong perception of this holiday and lose track of what it really is and what it means.

        At the same time, I would like to give them a piece of advice, namely that every time they think of carelessly overlooking this day, they should remember the words of the writer Marin Preda: "A woman can forgive anything, except you don't care about her". Some would probably say that the reason women wouldn't forgive this is because they want attention, but no. It's one thing to pay attention to her, that is, to notice her, and it's another to show her that you care about her through small gestures that show her that you respect her, because the most painful thing, in my opinion, is to see that the person next to you is celebrating you out of obligation, and not because they really feel like doing so because of the essence of this day.

      Why is it important to celebrate International Women's Day?

      It is extremely important to celebrate International Women's Day to honor and celebrate the diverse achievements of women around the world, regardless of the field: society, economy, politics and culture. It is also a time when we can remember those who have yet to hear and continue to be prevented from reaching their potential because basic rights such as health and education are still not recognized for some women in the world.

source

https://www.descopera.ro/istorie/13947933-8-martie-ziua-in-care-femeile-nu-primeau-flori-si-se-luptau-pentru-niste-drepturi-elementare
https://fericitazi.com/legenda-de-8-martie.html
https://www.twinkl.ro/event/ziua-internationala-a-femeii-2021