Each of us had favorite books as children that set the tone for our fantasies. Often remembering our parents' house, the image of a mother reading a new fairy tale on the sofa pops up in our thoughts. It was from them that we learned our first letters and carefully turned through the pages that smelled of paint with childish fingers. Children's literature is a rich heritage that dates back only to the mid-17th century. Before this period, fairy tales were mostly retold, and children could only read adult fables or the Bible. Later, in the 18th century, the popular works of D. Defoe and the adventures of J. Swift, as well as fascinating collections of oriental tales, were created. The 19th century was marked by a real breakthrough in children's fairy tales, which were created by the famous brothers Grimm and H. H. Andersen. Since 1967, the International Children's Book Board (IBBY) has proposed that April 2 be celebrated as International Children's Book Day (ICBD). It was on this day that the famous storyteller Hans H. Andersen was born. The main purpose of the holiday is, of course, to promote children's reading. Not only because the book represents a cultural heritage, but also because it provides an opportunity to gain knowledge. This is another reason to draw public attention to the importance of protecting intellectual property. Copyright infringement occurs very often today, especially on the Internet. Each year one national IBBY section has the opportunity to sponsor the international day. She decides on the theme of the holiday and invites a prominent author from the host country to write a message to all the children, as well as a famous illustrator to create the poster design. These materials are used around the world in various ways to promote books and reading. Many national children's reading councils promote the holiday through the media, initiating events in schools and public libraries. Often these forms of outreach include meetings with authors and illustrators, writing competitions, or awarding special prizes to the best readers.

World Autism Awareness Day is celebrated every year on April 2. This day was established by the UN in 2007 in order to draw the attention of the world community to people with similar disorders. The proposal was made by a UN representative from Qatar, after which the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution calling on all UN member states to disseminate information about the disease and ensure measures for early diagnosis and timely intervention. The resolution was adopted as a complement to earlier UN initiatives to improve human rights. It expresses deep concern about the high rates of childhood autism in various countries The events held on this day bring great assistance to associations around the world whose specialization is research, diagnosis and treatment of the disease. To bring awareness to the world's population and support people suffering from this disorder, television and radio broadcast programs about autism. Posters and banners are hung in large cities, and exhibitions of works by artists with this diagnosis are organized in art salons and galleries. To attract the community to the problems of autism, discussions are organized with the participation of doctors and scientists, conferences and seminars for those who work with sick children. Specialized clinics invite families to training sessions, as well as free consultations with a pediatrician or psychologist, representatives of charitable organizations and community workers Autism is a mental disorder that remains with a person throughout his life. People with autism have difficulty finding social interaction, have problems communicating with others, exhibit unusual behavior, limited interests, and reduced activity. The disease occurs regardless of race and place of residence, but the problems and concerns of families where a sick child is born are exactly the same. People suffering from autism should be part of a full-fledged world, and they can only do this with the help of specialists and all caring people.

The Grand Duchy of Moscow and some lands of North-Eastern Rus' in the fifteenth-seventeenth centuries were called White Russia (Alba Russia), and the capital of these lands was placed in the stories in Moscow. The leader of the territory was called the White Tsar, in different languages ​​it sounded like Ak-Khan or Ak-Padishah. Then, with the development of cartography, increasing the accuracy of land measurements and the literacy of travelers, this inaccuracy was partly corrected. But if you now ask the average American where Belarus is, they will probably answer: “near Russia.” It is therefore not surprising that two brotherly countries, Belarus and Russia, created a community of states after the decision was made to become independent as a result of the collapse of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. The roots, destinies, history, and formation of these powers are so closely intertwined. On April 2, 1996, a document was signed on the creation of the Community of Belarus and Russia. Exactly a year later, this association was transformed into the Union of Belarus and Russia. The agreement on it lost force after the formation of the Union State. In this regard, the date April 2 is celebrated as the Day of Unity of the Peoples of Belarus and Russia. The holiday is annual; its tradition includes holding relevant events and meeting state leaders. The supranational formation of the Union presupposes in the future a single territorial, economic, military, customs, cultural, humanitarian and currency space. That is, achieving a state in which neither citizens of the Republic of Belarus in Russia, nor Russians in Belarus would feel like foreigners. Ethnically, linguistically, and culturally, the peoples of these states are very similar. We understand each other without translators, we use almost the same alphabet, we easily read texts in both languages, we are close to each other’s traditions and customs. We have many common holidays and similar cuisine. Russian is one of the state languages ​​in the Republic of Belarus. One of the options for the origin of the naming of White Rus' is interesting. Although the name suggests either white soil or the blond hair of the inhabitants, White rather referred to the direction. Regarding the main lands, which were usually called Russia in those days, White Rus' was located in the west. Accordingly, the western lands were called White, the eastern - Blue or Blue, the southern territories - Chervony or Red and the northern - Black. It was precisely this coloristic naming of the cardinal directions that spread from the Chinese through the Mongols. Confirmation of this option can be found in the name of the White Horde. If the origin of the toponym is rooted in this theory, it immediately becomes clear that White Rus' is simply Western Rus'. As a commemorative symbol dedicated to the event of the unification of the peoples of Belarus and Russia, a coin (in 1997) and a postage stamp (in 1996) were issued. There are no widespread celebrations on this day; the date is rather official and the celebrations are aimed at popularizing the integration efforts of the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation.

Fotinya Kolodeznitsa is celebrated on April 2 (March 20, old style) according to the folk calendar. The name of the holiday is taken from the church calendar - the date of veneration of St. Photina the Samaritan, a preacher of Christianity who lived in the 1st century. Photina was the Samarytan woman with whom Jesus Christ communicated at the well. After a conversation with him, the woman accepted Christianity and preached its teachings. When information about her actions reached the Roman Emperor Nero, an opponent of Christianity, he ordered her to be imprisoned and forced to renounce her faith. She was brutally tortured - they tore off the skin from her body, beat her on the hands with hammers, but Fotina did not renounce. Then they threw her into a well, where the saint went to God. People believed that on this day well water had healing powers. Just in the spring, strong winds caused the peasants to catch colds. Cases of fever were frequent. She was treated with water from a well: the patient was washed and given water. So that the disease would pass quickly, people prayed to Saint Photina for recovery. For treatment, it was important to collect “untapped” water, that is, water collected at dawn, when no one had collected it yet. She had to be carried to the house in silence, avoiding even greetings. Well water was also used to protect against evil spirits. It was sprayed on housing, livestock, and barns. At Fotinya Kolodeznitsa, flax, the oldest crop, received special attention. It was used for yarn, then fabric canvases were prepared, and from them they sewed clothes. Working with flax was considered women's work, so women on this day took linen shirts into the yard and hung them on the fence. Unmarried girls, in order to quickly get married, danced in circles with long linen towels. According to signs on the day of Fotinya, the Well Makers judged the future. The return of starlings from warmer climes signaled the onset of real spring. Daytime warmth and nighttime cold foreshadowed good weather for several days. Rain falling on Fotinev's day promised a rich mushroom picking in the summer. If the crust on the snow became prickly after the thaw, they prepared for a harvest year.

Since 2016, an unusual holiday has been celebrated annually, associated with the verification of information and data related to healthcare, journalism and other areas of life. On April 2, it is customary to carry out verification - confirmation and search for evidence of any algorithms, theories, programs and procedures by comparing them with prototypes and programs. Recently, a lot of misinformation has begun to appear on the Internet. In order to prevent its spread, April 2 is celebrated as International Fact-Checking Day. In their investigations, journalists engage in debunking myths by checking the news and often getting to the bottom of the truth. This is usually associated with the activities of politicians, businessmen, actors and show business stars. Correct information is very important for ordinary people to make good decisions in their daily lives. International Fact-Checking Day is specially held after April Fools' Day, which is celebrated on April 1st. International Fact Checking Day was established to combat lies and disinformation, which often lead to far from funny consequences. Therefore, you should be wary of the sources of any news - from politics to medicine and culture. It takes a lot of effort to obtain knowledge and correct information. But fact-checking can be fun. Erroneous information and images related to geographical objects, monuments and buildings are removed from the network after verification using the Google Earth service. Content posted on any online resource is checked for accuracy using the Fact Check Explorer tool. The authenticity of most photographs on the Internet can be easily refuted or confirmed by going through Google. The International Fact-Checking Day website has an Educheck Map, which also checks various information and facts. Both online platforms and individuals are searching for fake materials. Thus, the initiators of the holiday in 2020 involved specialists from all over the world in checking information to form the #CoronaVirusFacts alliance. Thanks to it, anyone can explore a database of 12,000 materials related to COVID-19. On April 2, enthusiasts and experts specially hired by the platforms not only check various facts, but also post their research on social networks, tagging the hashtag #FactCheckingDay. Fact checkers on many resources are compensated for their work because their work is very important. True information and data about world events help people make informed decisions. Fact-checking tools make it easier to access diverse viewpoints on issues of public interest by highlighting verified and reliable sources. Therefore, the events that are held in honor of International Fact-Checking Day, and the holiday itself, receive great attention all over the world.

Orthodox holidays on April 2:

Memorial Day of St. Euphrosynus of Sinozersk, Novgorod

Memorial Day of St. Mary of Egypt

On April 2, the Orthodox Church celebrates the Day of Remembrance of the Martyr Photina. According to the old calendar style, this is March 20. Her name, translated from Greek into Russian, sounds like Svetlana, so all Svetlanas can consider the saint their patroness and pray to her on this day. Photina was born in the 1st century in Samaria, in what is now Israel. One day, while collecting water from a well, she gave water to a traveler to drink. They started talking, the woman realized that she was talking with Jesus Christ himself. Throwing away the jug, Photina hastened to tell her fellow Christians about the Messiah. Since then, she began to preach Christianity and taught it to her two sons, Victor and Josiah. Victor served as a Roman general in Attalia. Its ruler, Sebastian, accused Victor and his family of preaching about Christ and suggested that they renounce the faith or confess it secretly. The Lord punished Sebastian and he became blind, but when he believed in God and crossed himself, his sight returned. When the incident was reported to Emperor Nero, he summoned them for questioning. Christians openly declared their faith and refused to renounce it. Then Nero ordered the believers to be tortured: they beat their hands with hammers, but an angel of God protected them - the believers did not feel pain. Having deprived Sebastian and Photina's two sons of sight, the executioners sent the martyrs to prison, and Photina and her five sisters (Photo, Anastasia, Paraskeva, Photida and Kyriakiia) were transferred to the imperial grounds under the supervision of Domnina, the daughter of Nero. Photina's speeches about Christ helped Domnina to believe in God and accept Christianity. Together with her, 100 of her maids became Christians. After 3 years, the emperor learned about the affairs of Photina and other Christians. He was angry at what he saw. Moreover, the Christians did not suffer at all; on the contrary, the martyrs’ vision returned, and they continued to bring the word of God to the people. The emperor did not even spare his own daughter. He ordered the women to cut out their breasts, tear off the skin from their bodies and throw the martyrs into an empty well pit. The men had part of their lower legs cut off and also stripped of their skin, hanging them upside down on a cross. A couple of days later, everyone was beheaded, and Saint Photina was tied to the tops of two trees leaning towards each other, and their ropes were cut. Straightening up, the trees tore the martyr in half.