The hero of one of the American teenage TV series presented an unusual surprise to his beloved on Valentine's Day. He went to the hospital, where he donated blood, which incredibly impressed the girl. In this way, the guy showed gratitude, because he himself needed multiple transfusions as a child. If Dylan from Beverly Hills 90210 (we are talking about this character) lived not in the USA, but in the Russian Federation, he most likely timed his act to coincide with April 20th. It is on this date that Russia celebrates National Blood Donor Day. April 20, 1832 is considered the day when the successful transfusion of this liquid tissue was first used and recorded in the annals of domestic medical practice. The manipulation was carried out in St. Petersburg by a young obstetrician Andrei Martynovich Wolf. The mother's loss of blood turned out to be so great that the doctor decided to borrow from her husband's bloodstream. The operation went well, the woman survived. Wolf was lucky: the recipient and donor did not conflict either by group or by Rh factor. The doctor at that moment simply did not suspect this. Doctors were not aware of the existence of important categories such as blood groups until the early 20th century. Only in 1900, Karl Landsteiner, a doctor from Austria, was able to identify and explain the cause of hitherto unknown deaths that occurred after infusion. After all, if there is rejection due to group mismatch, the recipient either suffers from severe complications or dies. The patient's immune system rejects what it considers foreign tissue. After the discovery of the grouping according to four main characteristics was made, the therapeutic method of transfusion began to develop very quickly. At the same time, humanity has learned to separate blood into the necessary fractions and components, as well as preserve it. This made it possible to deliver the biomaterials necessary for transfusion to points remote from collection stations. The word “donor” itself is translated as giver, from the Latin verb donare - to give as a gift. But, as it turned out, a person who donates his tissues for free only wins in the case of blood donation. His body triggers mechanisms to activate hematopoiesis, resulting in stimulation of defenses and immunity. As a result, donors, according to statistics, live 4-5 years longer than the average person. They tolerate significant blood loss more easily, are less likely to suffer from cardiovascular diseases, and their cholesterol levels are normal. Since no more than 450 ml of biomaterial can be taken at a time, and up to one and a half liters are needed for transfusion, at least three donors are required per recipient. Despite the fact that 15-17% of the population can become blood donors, in practice there are ten times fewer proactive volunteers. Therefore, popularizing information about the need to replenish donor blood supplies is so important. Perhaps, having learned about National Blood Donor Day in Russia, more people will come to the transfusion station wanting to give hope and life.

Chinese Language Day is celebrated every year on April 20 as part of the Official Languages ​​Week celebrations. The establishment of this date is associated with a UN decree. In 2010, the department of this organization took the initiative to found a separate holiday in honor of the founder of Chinese writing, Cang Jie. According to history, he served as a historiographer at the imperial court and created a set of pictograms that later became the basis for the current hieroglyphs. This has become an alternative to knot writing. The very first historical references about the person in whose memory this holiday was established date back to the 3rd century BC. In the scientific work there is a mention that the writing symbols developed by Tsang Jie were accepted by the public, who began to actively use them. The Chinese language is a complex of significantly different dialects, which linguists call independent groups. The writing system of this country is considered one of the most complex on the planet. About 80 thousand hieroglyphs are used to express its greatness. But, for everyday use, 3–5 thousand hieroglyphs are enough. It is also one of the oldest languages ​​existing in the world. Chinese is the national language not only of China, but also of Singapore and Taiwan. In some American states, in particular New York, all official documentation must be translated into Chinese. In total, it is spoken by over 1.3 billion people. The Chinese love and respect their native language very much, neglecting foreign ones. Every year the UN department organizes events dedicated to this date. On this holiday, according to tradition, all kinds of solemn and demonstrative organized events are organized. First of all, these are performances of martial arts sections, which are extremely popular in China. Various sports shows are also held, where you can personally meet professionals, study their fighting techniques and different martial arts systems. The stages host concerts of musical groups and singers from the state. Ballet troupes present their performances and productions. In addition, modern and ancient Chinese poetry and fiction are presented. The exhibition halls display paintings by artists from this mysterious republic for most people. Olympiads and competitions for knowledge of historical facts about the country are organized in schools and universities. This promotes interest and involvement of a large number of citizens in learning the language. In the future, this will allow some to successfully conduct their business with Chinese partners, and others to easily watch films, read literature and the press without the use of dictionaries and translators.

The third Saturday in April annually hosts a worldwide holiday, International Circus Day. The history of the celebration includes European Circus Day, founded in 2008. Two years later, the date received international status and since 2010, specialists involved in the production of positive mood have their own professional holiday. The obvious similarity of the words compass, circus, circulation is dictated by the same Latin root, circus, literally translated as “circle”. Indeed, in terms of shape, circus buildings evoke round associations. Although the very first arenas were not strictly circles in plan, they were elongated, closer to oval, because they had a slightly different purpose than now. Back then, when these buildings were called circuses, they were used as hippodromes, stands for gladiatorial competitions or baiting of animals. In the Middle Ages, the spectacles presented to the people in circuses were supplanted by theaters. Round buildings fell into disrepair, were neglected, abandoned and broken down, ceasing to serve an entertainment function. After all, it was impossible to adapt them for any other activity, the premises for theatrical performances and mysteries required a completely different structure, markets did not take root here, and these buildings were also not suitable for housing. Only at the end of the 18th century, around 1777 (according to other sources, 1768), the English rider Philip Astley came up with the idea of ​​making money from the art of horse riding. Being a balancing jockey, he was fond of vaulting (acrobatics in equestrian sports) and decided to popularize this spectacle. He opened a school and built an entertainment venue for viewing. Very quickly Astley realized that the track along which the horses were galloping must be closed. Empirically, the optimal diameter of the arena obtained inside this circle was determined. It depended on the average dimensions of the horses and their speed of movement. This achieved a certain angle of inclination necessary for acrobatic equestrian performances. Since the average performance of circus animals and their speed characteristics are the same all over the world, the radius of the circus arena calculated in this way is used everywhere. A little later, jugglers, mimes, trainers, clowns and trapeze artists joined the equestrian balancing act acrobats. This was done later by another family, the Italians Franconi. It is in this form that classical circus art has come down to us. Nevertheless, Philip Astley is still considered the father of the modern revived circus. Now circus art is international and it has its own headquarters. It is located in the Principality of Monaco, in the Monte Carlo region. The patronage of the World Circus Federation is carried out by the royal family of this dwarf state. On International Circus Day, it is customary to organize the most spectacular programs consisting of the most successful acts, conduct master classes and interactive shows in which everyone can feel involved in the empire of good mood, positive spirit and celebration.

China Kite Festival (Weifang International Kite Festival)

April 20 is celebrated annually as the Day of Searching for the Meaning of Life. How this partly funny, and partly very deep in its content holiday came about is unknown. Should not only philosophers or psychologists, but also ordinary people think about the meaning of life? Is it necessary to dive into the depths of the subconscious at least once a year in order to answer the questions: “Who am I? Why do I live in this world?” The French writer Romain Gary rightly argued that one cannot ask about the meaning of life - it must be invested in it. One person sees his destiny in professional fulfillment, the other - in raising children who should grow up to be honest and decent people. Christianity insists that man came into this world to suffer in order to atone for original sin and the torment of Christ. Hedonists and epicureans consider the meaning of life to be constant enjoyment and pleasure. They are sure that suffering is evil, because... They only bring pain to people. But how then can you gain invaluable life experience without mistakes, mental tossing and disappointments? Difficulties and obstacles build character, but are not an end in themselves. Thanks to them, a person begins to appreciate the opportunities and advantages given to him from birth over other living beings. Quotes and aphorisms: Arabic wisdom: “Continuous sunny days give rise to desert.” The sad experience of the decline of Ancient Rome indicates that existence under the slogan “Bread and circuses!” vicious and detrimental to human society. People, as highly spiritual beings, the crown of God's creation, cannot think only about themselves and their own good, without caring about everything that surrounds them. “We are responsible for those we have tamed,” said the Little Prince Exupery. Man, as the most developed part of nature, is responsible for the entire Earth. The future of his descendants depends on his actions, and thoughtless pleasure and life “here and now” will sooner or later lead to the decline of civilization. Quotes and Aphorisms: Aristotle: “What is the meaning of life? To serve others and to do good.” In ancient Slavic Vedism and the culture of many Asian countries, the concept of reincarnation has existed since ancient times. According to Buddhism, Judaism and other religious movements, the soul is immortal. Pythagoras, who had the ability to remember his past lives, spoke about the possibilities of her rebirth. Supporters of reincarnation were Socrates, Empedocles, Plato, Pindar and other ancient Greek thinkers. According to their philosophical teachings, death is simply a change in the dimension of existence, a transition from one state to another. The founders of Christianity thought the same: Clement of Alexandria, Gregory of Nyssa, Saint Jerome and St. Augustine. Quotes and aphorisms: Bertolt Brecht: “We should not be afraid of death, but of an empty life.” However, Justinian, who lived 6 centuries after the advent of Christianity, decided that the idea of ​​reincarnation was harmful. The Emperor of Byzantium doubted his subjects, who, knowing that they would live several lives, would in the current one begin to show due zeal in the pursuit of the ideal. The abolition of reincarnation was intended to increase a person’s responsibility to the state and Justinian personally, strengthening the power of worldly power. After the death of a person, the soul moves into the body of a man or woman, animal or other creature. The outcome of the choice depends on how ethical and moral the behavior was in the previous life. According to the doctrine of reincarnation, each new incarnation on Earth helps the soul to purify itself and move to a higher level of development. From this point of view, the purpose of life is to escape the wheel of Samsara, endless rebirth for experience, and reunite with God. The Soviet satirist E. Krotky aptly noted that people begin to think about the meaning of life and money when they come to an end. And indeed, in the bustle of passing days, modern man has no time to stop in order to reflect on the eternal. The Day of Searching for the Meaning of Life, which is celebrated annually on April 20, is called upon to draw attention to the philosophical questions of existence.

Spaghetti and other types of products made from flour and water, called pasta and vermicelli in Russia, are the national pride of Italy. In the country located on the Apennine Peninsula, there are from 300 to 600 recipes for pasta dishes. Thick bucatini, capellini with a diameter of 1 mm, flattened linguine, egg pappardelle, fettuccine and spaghetti are present on the table of many Italian families every day. Pasta dishes are usually seasoned with tomato or cream sauce, adding cheese, vegetables, minced meat or seafood. Boiled vermicelli, the length of which reaches 50-75 cm, is very inconvenient to eat with a fork. But Italians never break or cut pasta with a knife, much less break the rules of etiquette by sucking spaghetti into their mouths. To make it easier to wrap the pasta on a fork, use a spoon. The virtuosity of this process is achieved through years of training and is explained by a great love for the national cuisine. A funny holiday has been invented in honor of the unusual way of eating spaghetti and bucatini. April 20 is the Day of the Fork and Spoon. The celebration is celebrated in Sardinia and Ponza, the islands of the Tuscan archipelago and Capri, in the south and north of mainland Italy. In Sicily, in honor of Forkrut Day, a gastronomic festival is held with competitions in cooking and eating spaghetti. The Italian initiative was also supported by the owners of English cafes and restaurants, where pasta will definitely appear on the menu on April 20. Residents of Foggy Albion traditionally season it with sauces made from beans, beef and tomatoes, emphasizing the taste of real durum wheat spaghetti, cooked Al dente (“to the tooth”). According to legend, the dish in the form of thin and straight flour products was invented by chef Masterello. One day he invited the guests of his restaurant to try pasta, which puzzled them a lot. Mastrello personally demonstrated how to roll spaghetti onto a long fork, and then served it with aromatic sauce and a carafe of wine. The tension that reigned among those present subsided. Guests scooped up the sauce with a large spoon and dashingly dipped rolled pasta into it. This is how the funny Day of Forks and Spoons appeared. Long vermicelli has gone down in history not only as a tasty and nutritious dish. “To hang noodles on one’s ears” is a phraseological unit of the Russian language that denotes the supply of false information, deception and fables. "Essere come l'acqua dei maccheroni" ("To be like water after boiling pasta") is said in Italy about a dishonest person. “Hanging on a spoon with its legs dangling” is a riddle for children with the answer: “Noodles.” To make the pasta more convenient to eat, the dish is served in a deep bowl, similar to a soup bowl. And to master the skill of wrapping spaghetti before putting it into your mouth, it is recommended to regularly celebrate the Day of the Fork-Twist and Spoon-Layer.

Russian holidays - Day of mobilization units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation

On April 20 (April 7 according to the old calendar style) people celebrate Akulinin Day. The origin of the name is associated with the name of Saint Aquilina of Sinope, a martyr whose memory is revered on this date in the church calendar. Akilina lived in the 3rd and 4th centuries in Sinop on the Black Sea coast of modern Turkey, and was a secret Christian. When, by order of Emperor Maximian, the persecution of Christians began, her comrade, deacon Rufinus, was locked in prison until trial. The girl visited him and supported him morally. She was also taken into custody for this. In conclusion, she and the deacon, with their convincing speeches, converted about 200 guards to Christianity. Having learned about what had happened, the ruler became furious and ordered Aquilina, Rufinus and all the guards to cut off their heads. And among the people there was a belief that on Akulinin’s day mermaids rose to the surface of reservoirs after winter sleep. They were represented as young beauties with long hair and fish tails. Suicidal girls who did not marry, drowned women or unbaptized children became mermaids. They were classified as evil spirits, and not in vain. River maidens could play vicious jokes on people: entangle fishing nets, tickle them to death, lure them into the depths and drown them. To protect the family from mermaid pranks and not be afraid to swim during mermaid week (after Trinity), women performed a ritual of appeasing the undines. It was the women who carried yarn, scraps of fabric, towels, skirts or shirts ashore for them on Akulinin’s day. It was believed that the weather was still cool for the mermaids, and human clothing helped them warm up. When going to the pond, peasant women took with them wormwood grass and a head of garlic, as a talisman that warded off evil spirits. Mermaids were also afraid of the cross and the sign of the cross. According to legend, they could attack only at night, and during the day they turned into water lilies. By picking such a flower, one could kill the undine, but this would bring misfortune to the person. If there were frosts on Akulinin's day, the peasants expected a generous harvest of buckwheat, wheat and rye. Short-term rain foreshadowed an abundance of raspberries during harvesting, but prolonged rainfall predicted the yield of viburnum. The sunny day promised a rich harvest of root crops. The starry sky revealed an abundance of berries and mushrooms.

Every year on the third Saturday of April, residents of Ukraine celebrate Environment Day, established by the decision of the country's president in the summer of 1998. This date was first celebrated in 1999. The event was designed to celebrate the famous environmental conference held in Stockholm. This meeting became one of the most significant in the history of the environmental movement. Currently, environmental problems occupy the most important positions, since they determine the degree of well-being of the entire international civilization, including Ukraine. This holiday was created in order to encourage as many citizens as possible to take active action in order to prevent a situation where the rapidly increasing load on the country’s natural life-support resources would reach a critical level. Special attention is paid to the preparatory procedures for the event: an organizing committee is convened, the main task of which is to draw up and approve an action plan for the implementation of Environment Day. The activities carried out usually involve: 1. Information and educational measures. These are all kinds of conferences, meetings, festivals, exhibitions, congresses and presidiums, the key goal of which is to increase the environmental consciousness of society. 2. Planning and creating new flower beds and lawns.3. Mass cleaning and garbage removal on the coast of water bodies.4. Elimination of prohibited landfills and improvement of the sanitary quality of landfills.5. Streamlining the territories of alleys, parks and squares, planning and construction of new park areas.6. Cleaning sources.7. Planting shrubs and trees.8. Widespread media coverage of events planned during this holiday. In addition, as part of Environment Day, thematic events are held every year to attract public interest in environmental issues. Also, in some cities of the country excursions are organized, volunteer programs for cleaning the territory, and educational events are held. This holiday is not just a day to improve the quality of the environment, but also a good reason to once again think about pressing problems of the situation and pay attention to the environment. Everyone knows that with the active development of the production sector, most of the other processes of human life are rapidly deteriorating. That is why environmental protection measures are being carried out in Ukraine, which call not to ignore the current situation, but to take the path of resolving it.

Orthodox holidays on April 20:

The origins of George and the exact date of his birth are unknown to historians. However, it is known that George’s life took place in the 8th-9th centuries. From an early age the saint was burdened by the desire to devote his life to the Lord. In his youth, he went to a monastery to be tonsured as a monk, led a virtuous life, prayed a lot and observed fasts. When Leo III the Isaurian came to power, he ordered an end to the veneration of holy icons. During these years, George actively professed the Christian faith and tried to protect icons from heretics. For his bold sermons, parishioners nicknamed George the Confessor, but the ruling guards persecuted him. While staying in Lesbos in Mytilene (modern Greece), George was elevated to the rank of metropolitan. Serving the Almighty and directing his flock to the righteous path, the saint was revered as an example of a godly existence. From the Lord, George was granted the ability to heal various diseases and cast out demons from his body through prayer, and he also tried to help the disadvantaged and the poor. Emperor Leo V the Armenian, who ascended the throne, again began persecution of admirers of icons. For protesting the heretic in 815, George was deprived of his rank and expelled to Chersonesos. Since he was at a respectable age, after a couple of years there he gave his soul to the Creator. That same night, a new shining star appeared in the sky over the city of Mytilene, notifying Christians of the loss of St. George.

Memorial Day of the Holy Martyrs Rufinus and Aquilina

Feast of the Byzantine Icon of the Mother of God

Memorial Day of St. Daniel of Pereyaslavl

Every year on Saturday in the fifth week of Lent, churches celebrate the Praise of the Most Holy Theotokos, also called Akathist Saturday in Orthodoxy. This event is a thanksgiving to the mother of Jesus Christ, whose icon helped at one time to protect Constantinople from destruction. The akathist is composed of 24 long hymns; they begin with the praise of Saint Mary and end with a prayer request for the preservation of the population from harm. The Praise dates back to the 9th century, when, with the help of the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary, it was possible to defend Constantinople from enemy invaders. The Scythians and Persians marched in large numbers against the city; the citizens of Constantinople had little chance of resistance. During the siege, the townspeople spent days making requests in the church for liberation, and the first Saint Sergius walked along the walls of the settlement with an icon of the Mother of God and asked God to save them from their enemies. When ruler Constantine I founded the city, he paid an important role to the construction of churches. Many of them were dedicated to the Holy Virgin Mary, she was considered the intercessor of Constantinople. The icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, carefully kept in the Blachernae Church, was created by the apostle of the seventy - Luke, the first icon painter. When the enemy launched a shock offensive from the sea, the weather suddenly deteriorated, a storm with high waves began and sank the attacking ships. The foot part of the enemy army, seeing the failure from the sea side, retreated. The townspeople assigned the liberation to the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos and spent the whole night singing an akathist - a grateful ode. Since then, the holiday has become a significant event in the Orthodox calendar. Initially, Akathist was celebrated only in the Church of Constantinople, in which there was a saving icon of the Mother of God and the things of her stay in the world - a belt and rice. Later, the celebration was established among monasteries with the Studite Charter, and then it came to the Eastern Church.