Every year on April 29, all countries celebrate International Dance Day. This event is dedicated to all dance styles. The founding date of the holiday is 1982, and the initiator was UNESCO. The date was not chosen at all by chance. It was on this day in 1727 that the world-famous choreographer Jean-Georges Noverre was born, who went down in history as the founder of modern ballet.” Among his teachers was the famous choreographer Louis Dupre. Noverre's debut took place in Fontainebleau at the royal court of ruler Louis XV. At that time, the aspiring dancer was only 15 years old. After a successful performance, the young man was immediately invited to Germany. Upon returning to his homeland, he got a job in the ballet troupe of the Opera-Comic Theater. A few years later, Noverre legalized his relationship with actress Margarite-Louise Sauveur. In the same year, after another closure of the Opera-Comique theater due to financial difficulties, Jean-Georges went on a tour of European cities. For several years he gave performances in Strasbourg and Lyon, and then moved to the UK (London), where he worked for two years in the team of artist David Garik. Noverre maintained friendly relations with this man throughout his life, and subsequently called him “Shakespeare in dance.” While performing in his troupe, Jean-Georges decided to create a personal dance show, separate from the opera. Indeed, until this time, ballet was used only as a small element in the opera. For a long time, he pondered a serious dance theme and choreographic dramaturgy, planning to turn the ballet into a complete performance with the development of the plot and the characters of the main characters. In 1754, upon his arrival in France, at the newly opened Opera-Comique theater, Noverre organized his debut ballet performance, which was extremely popular. At the end of the 18th century, he summarized all the skills and experience in the field of choreography and noted its key features in the work “Letters on Dance and Ballets”, popular among experts, which became the first theoretical work in the field of dance art. The main goal of the holiday is to unite all choreographic styles as a single art form. According to the founders, Dance Day is a good reason to overcome political, social, cultural and national boundaries, an opportunity to unite all people in the name of peace and friendship, allowing them to communicate in the same language of dance. On this day, the entire dancing society - theater and ballet troupes, modern choreographic groups, folk dance groups and ballroom ensembles and other artists celebrate their professional date. The forms of celebration are very different - standard performances and concerts, thematic flash mobs and non-standard performances. The official part of the holiday necessarily includes an address to the society by some famous representative of the dance world with a message that reminds people of the importance of this art form such as choreography.

The memorial date, established in 2005 at the initiative of the UN member countries at the Xth Conference, is significant for achieving the security of the whole world. The date April 29 was not chosen by chance - it was on this day in 1997 that the Chemical Weapons Convention came into force, prohibiting their development, use for any purpose, and calling for the destruction of all existing stockpiles. The consequences of more than a century of existence of this weapon are terribly catastrophic. The first recorded use of chemical weapons was on April 22, 1915 near the city of Ypres (Belgium). On that tragic day of the First World War, Germany used chlorine against Russian soldiers. After the second attack, the total number of deaths approached 7 thousand, 25 thousand people were poisoned. For the first time, the Russian command encountered such a method of warfare, leading to colossal losses of human lives, and in agony. Other countries have assessed the effectiveness of this method of warfare. Until its very end (1918), despite the availability of chemical protection means, more than 1 million soldiers became victims, of which a tenth died. The weapon taken into service, with the development of the chemical industry in countries such as Italy, Japan, the USA, Germany, maximally expanded its deadly range: mustard gas (another name is “mustard gas” in memory of the events near Ypres), sarin, napalm, phosgene, and was used not only against the military, but also against civilians. The most egregious case is the real US environmental war directed against the people of Vietnam. This once again proved that the most vulnerable category is the civilian population, which continues to suffer for decades. The memorial date has a specific purpose: to convey to the entire world community the idea of ​​​​the terrible consequences of chemical weapons, the inadmissibility of not only their use, but also simply their presence. It took the UN many years for almost all countries to adopt the Convention on the Global Ban of Chemical Weapons. By celebrating this day, honoring the memory of all victims, regardless of race and nationality, UN member countries confirm the impact of chemical weapons not only on the ecology of the entire planet, but also the fact that this is one of the horrific methods of inflicting pain on ordinary people. A concrete reminder is the monument to all victims erected in The Hague, calling for the elimination of the use of terrible weapons in the future. Russia is directly involved in the commemorative day: photo exhibitions on the destruction of chemical weapons and children's drawing competitions on this topic are organized. And the final date for complete chemical disarmament of the Russian Federation is 2020.

Both adults and children dream of fulfilling their dreams. Many of them have decades of life ahead of them, so implementing plans and achieving their goals is quite possible. However, some are destined only to soar in the clouds of their own dreams. Terminally ill children have neither the strength nor the time to make their dreams come true. They can be helped in this by sponsors and volunteers who act as good fairies and wizards in the Make-A-Wish Foundation, founded in the USA in 1980. On April 29, World Children's Wish Day is celebrated, reflecting the main idea of ​​the foundation. Since its inception, Make-A-Wish Foundation activists have made the dreams of more than 240 thousand children suffering from fatal diseases come true. The fund helps children from 2.5 to 18 years old based on applications from relatives, friends, doctors and social workers. The child himself can ask for help in making his dream come true. Make-A-Wish Foundation branches are open in the USA, Canada and 33 other countries around the world. World Day of Wish Fulfillment was established in honor of the act of American customs officer Tommy Austin, who back in 1977 helped one boy’s dream come true. 4-year-old Christopher James Greychus, who has leukemia, got the opportunity to fly in a police helicopter. The boy and police officer Ron Cox went to Phoenix, Arizona. Arriving at the local airport, they were met by a convoy of patrol cars and motorcycles. Christopher spent the whole day at the local Police Department and received an honorary badge as a gift, and in the morning he was given an officer's uniform sewn overnight. Despite the boy's desperate struggle with leukemia, the terrible disease won. Christopher James Greichus has passed away, but Police Department officers have established a fund in his memory. It was created to fulfill the wishes of seriously ill and dying children. Today, the foundation is helped by more than 30 thousand volunteers, among whom are famous athletes, artists and musicians. They try their best to fulfill children's wishes, big and small, making the cherished dream of every sick child come true. In honor of World Wish Day, various events are held that are aimed at attracting attention to the activities of the foundation. On April 29, anyone can become a wizard - take part in charity events or make a donation to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Thanks to the insignificant contribution of millions of sympathetic people, there are more happy children in the world whose cherished dream has come true.

The advent of smartphones with cameras has made it possible to take photos and videos using your phone. The presence of video editors has simplified the editing process, and publishing platforms have simplified the placement of content. Short amateur videos that inspire people, make them laugh, be sad or angry are quickly becoming popular thanks to instant messengers, e-mail and social networks. In honor of viral videos, a funny holiday was invented - Viral Video Day, which is celebrated annually on April 29. Some videos appear by chance as a result of filming an absurd or funny situation in life. It has been noticed that a video with dramatic overtones becomes viral if it appears online during a holiday, significant political or social event. Videos with an aesthetic component or a humorous plot are usually staged, especially if they contain advertising content. Viral videos that have a great influence on people sometimes have various incidents associated with them. The video "Ide! Hefty!" has received millions of views on the Russian Internet. An amateur video with an emotional pensioner, also known as “The Fish of My Dreams,” very quickly became popular among users. The secret of his success lies in the sincere joy of a man showing off his catch. The video instantly spread across social networks and went viral, spawning a lot of parodies and memes. The unusual Viral Video Day was invented in 2013 by the American writer, dreamer and inventor Jace Shoemaker-Galloway. She also celebrates Siamese Cat Day, Red Wine Day, Plagiarism Day, Green Bean Casserole Day, and other fun celebrations. Shoemaker-Galloway not only comes up with holiday ideas, but also gives recommendations on how best to celebrate them. Viral Video Day is an excellent opportunity for both professionals, novice bloggers and ordinary Internet users to show their talent as a director, screenwriter and editor. Experts advise taking into account that the most popular are creative videos with an original plot that evoke delight, laughter, surprise or sadness in people. To make an amateur video popular, use a unique presentation format, such as animation. And don’t forget to enjoy real masterpieces in honor of Viral Video Day - famous videos of past years, the number of views of which sometimes exceeds the number of people living on Earth.

Modern young people have a lot of unusual hobbies. One of them is moving around the terrain and overcoming obstacles by jumping. For those who love speed and extreme sports, parkour is the basis of life philosophy and a sport that combines athletics, gymnastics and rock climbing. Fans of jumping on roofs, railings and stairs have established a holiday in honor of their hobby. Parkour Day is celebrated annually on April 29th. The new sports discipline was invented by the French David Belle and Sebastian Fuca. The essence of parkour is for a tracer to cover a set distance in the shortest possible period of time. Athletes are not stopped by any obstacles - the walls of houses, large distances between neighboring roofs, steep turns of stairs, etc. The second name of the holiday “We are jumping around the world” reflects the way of thinking of tracers who perceive everything that surrounds them as a platform for training their agility and psychological stability. In equestrian sports, the word parkour is used to refer to obstacles that the rider and horse must overcome during competition. However, extreme entertainment owes its appearance to the training methods of French soldiers, which were used at the end of the 19th century. In order to get out of captivity and hide from persecution, they had to overcome a number of obstacles. Therefore, the French military was trained according to the system of George Herbert, who traveled to many countries before the outbreak of the First World War. The story goes that a naval officer was amazed by the physical fitness of one of the African tribes - the flexibility and endurance of the natives, the ease of their movement through the jungle, despite any obstacles. Inspired by their athletic training, Herbert developed his own system for training soldiers. While training the French military in Reims, he used the “natural method,” which included running, climbing mountains, moving on all fours, throwing, jumping and other types of physical exercise. Herbert's system formed the basis of obstacle courses for soldiers (parcours du combattant) and firefighters (parcours SP). David Bell's father served in the French army and fought in Vietnam. Thanks to him, the young man learned about parkour and developed rules for rational and speedy movement from one point to another. In 1997, David Belle appeared with a story about a new sports discipline in a short report on French television. It quickly became popular in Europe and beyond, eventually becoming a youth subculture. The discipline has several branches. Freerunning is considered a type of parkour, in which the emphasis is on the beauty of the elements performed by the tracer. The purpose of jumping is for the athlete to enjoy performing the techniques, and not for speed of movement. Quadrobics, as another type of parkour, involves the use of all four limbs during competitions, simulating the movement of dogs, cats and horses. Fundamental differences in approaches to performing tricks are not an obstacle to uniting representatives of the subculture during the celebration of We Jump the World Day. Therefore, on April 29, tracers around the world compete with each other in the speed of overcoming obstacles, thus celebrating Parkour Day.

As the fashion industry developed, styles of clothing and shoes changed, new materials were created, and accessories were improved. Buttons have been replaced by buttons and zippers. Two textile tapes with metal links attached to them in a checkerboard pattern, which were connected and separated using a small lock, were patented on April 29, 1913 by the American Gideon Sundbeck. In honor of this invention, a holiday was invented - Zipper Day. The creation of the “automatic continuous fastener” in 1851 belongs to Elijah Howe. The prototype of the modern zipper was invented by Whitcomb Leo Judson in November 1893. It was assumed that this device would be used as a shoe fastener. Judson was inspired to create the device by the desire to help a friend who, while rescuing a girl from a burning house, severely injured his back. It became difficult for him to bend down to tie his shoelaces. To make the task easier, a clasp made of two metal chains with a lock (slider) was designed. However, due to shortcomings and complex manufacturing, the first lightning bolts did not become widespread. Judson and his company Universal Fastener, which was on the verge of bankruptcy due to numerous claims from buyers of the device, had to hire an engineer of Swedish origin, G. Sundbeck. He perfected the zipper, the right to produce it in Europe was transferred to the industrialist Martin Othmar Winterhalter. Today Zipper is used as a fastener for clothes, shoes, suitcases, wallets and other leather goods. One of the first at the beginning of the twentieth century. The sailors appreciated the new product. They installed zippers on "money belts" for fear of attacks in foreign ports and pickpockets. After the end of the First World War, fasteners from covers for large-caliber guns began to be used in sewing bags. Later, zippers were used for clothing. The first fashion designer to install a “snake” on women’s skirts was Elsa Schiaparelli. Coco Chanel followed her example. Since 1937, the fastener also appeared on men's trousers. The first lightning bolts were metal. After the invention of plastic, the material used to make links changed. This type of fittings, despite the improvement of production technologies, has not lost its popularity for decades. Manufacturers produce 3 types of zippers: tractor with plastic links, twisted (spiral) and metal. The leader in Zipper production is the YKK group of companies, which produces 94% of fasteners in Japan and more than half in the world. The tightness of the zippers allows them to be installed even on diving suits. The choice in favor of a steel or plastic, hidden or detachable fastener depends on the purpose of its use and the type of product. And the desire to celebrate the unusual Zipper Day comes from people who appreciate the benefits that this invention has brought to humanity.

In Japan, the cult of emperors began with Emperor Hirohito, also known as Emperor Showa. The reign of this man in Japan is recognized as the longest in the history of the country and it lasted from 1926 until the death of the emperor - January 7, 1989. During this period, which, by the way, is called the Showa period, a lot of events took place in Japan - World War II, the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, two sessions of the Olympic Games, one of which was the first Olympic Games in Asia - this happened in Tokyo in 1964 year, also the 1972 Olympics - it was not easy for the Japanese to adapt to the conditions of a new life in the new Japan, however, the wise reign of Emperor Hirohito largely helped the Japanese find themselves in a rapidly changing world. Indeed, at the same time in Hirohito’s life and reign, Japan began to rapidly develop economically, the birth rate in the country increased and prospects for development appeared in various sectors of society. To this day, the Japanese remember the Showa period as the most important in the history of their country, because after surviving defeat in the war, disasters that were terrible in their consequences, Japan was able to become a mega-developed country and all this is due to the great merit of this man. An interesting fact is that before the reign of Hirohito, the Japanese considered God their emperor. That is, naturally, it was believed that God ruled the country. And Hirohito is the first person to have this title. It is not without reason that the phrase “I am becoming a man” is attributed to this great manager. Even during Hirohito’s lifetime, his birthday, namely April 29, was considered a holiday in the country; it was even designated in the calendar as “The Emperor’s Birthday.” When Hirohito died, he received the title of Showa, and his day became more famous as Greenery Day. After all, after terrible pages in the history of Japan, the country needed to regain its greenery, vegetation, and the emperor contributed to this by issuing decrees that helped green the country. Over time, the days “Green Day” and “Showa Day” were divided in order to pay tribute to the memory of the Emperor God separately. Today, in April, the doors of the imperial palace open and everyone can touch the places of life of the main people of their own country, stroll through the garden, and learn a lot of new things. People remember their first emperor, honor his memory and without fail retell the stories of this man’s wise decisions to the younger generation.

Denmark Holidays - Princess Benedicta's Birthday

Baha'i Holidays - Ninth Day of the Ridwan Festival

On April 29 (according to the old calendar style – April 16), people celebrate Arina “Urvi Shore”. It is on this day that Christians honor the memory of the holy sister-martyrs Irene, Agapia and Chionia of Aquileia, who died in the 4th century for the Christian faith. The girls lived in the ancient Italian town of Aquileia and professed Christianity. When their parents died, the sisters decided to remain celibate for the rest of their lives. During the period of persecution of Christians, the sisters were captured by pagans and taken to the ruler for trial. They tried to persuade the virgins to idolatry with flattery and threats, but they chose death rather than betraying the Lord. For the refusal of the elders, Agapia and Chionia were burned at the stake, and the younger Irina was pierced with an arrow from a bow. People called Irina Arina, which is why her name was given to this day. But the nickname “Urvi coast” came from the condition of the coast. Just in time for Arina's day, the rivers, after the spill, returned to their normal size. The receding water eroded the banks behind it and made them slippery and steep. Residents avoided going near the rivers for a couple of weeks to avoid slipping or sliding into the cold water. On Arina “Urvi Shore”, women dedicated the day to sowing seedlings of peppers, cabbage, tomatoes and cucumbers. To do this, a mixture of earth, humus and sawdust was poured into large boxes, then poured abundantly with water. Afterwards, the seeds were carefully planted and the boxes were placed in a bright, warm place. When planting, they were sure to read out a plot for successful germination. On Arina's day, men worked the land in fields and vegetable gardens. If the weather was sunny, then buckwheat was sown in open ground. The younger generation also had work: they were whitewashing the trunks of fruit trees. They were whitened not only for an aesthetic appearance, but also to protect them from sunlight that overheats the tree trunk. If there was a problem of male infidelity in the family, on Arina after sunset the women would perform a ritual of returning the husband to the family. The wives secretly took out some item of their mistress and read a conspiracy on it to break up the relationship between the mistress and her husband. Then they burned that thing to the ground, believing that the husband would soon return back. Signs on Arina “Urvi Shore” indicated to the people about the future. The alder blossoms foreshadowed the end of the cold weather, which meant it was possible to sow buckwheat. If, when planting seedlings, the ground absorbed a lot of water, then we expected a dry beginning of summer, but little water - on the contrary, a rainy one. An abundance of cockchafers was observed during dry weather.

Orthodox holidays on April 29:

On April 29, the Orthodox Church honors the memory of the martyr Galina of Corinth. The saint lived in the 3rd century and left behind an example of true faith, unbending even under terrible torture and execution. Galina, like many other residents of Corinth, was lucky enough to become a disciple of the holy hermit Conrad. The elder mastered the art of healing and lived alone in a deserted place. Conrad's Christian wisdom attracted many disciples to him, who strengthened their faith by listening to the instructions of the pious elder. The arrival of a new emperor on the throne of the Great Roman Empire entailed hatred towards the followers of the faith of Christ. Persecution also began in Corinth, through the efforts of the arriving military leader Jason. Kondrad, along with his followers, is imprisoned and subjected to painful interrogation. Attempts to force Christians to abandon their belief in one God were unsuccessful, and then the persecutors began the most severe torture. But even after the torment, Kondrad and his students had words of consolation for each other. Galina and her friends could ask for leniency, like women, but their faith and perseverance turned out to be no less than men's. Having made sure that not a single one of the Corinthian Christians would utter words of renunciation, Jason orders them to be torn to pieces by wild predators. But the animals did not cause any harm to the holy community. Then it was decided to execute Kondrat and his followers by beheading, but in order to increase the torment of the condemned, they were dragged to the place of execution, tied with their feet to carts. The cruel pagans mocked the martyrs and threw stones at them. At the execution site, the men were the first to lose their heads, showing an example of Christian fortitude, despite the severity of the sentence. The holy Corinthian women, including Galina, prayed, praising the Lord. With a calm heart, full of Christian faith, the friends accepted their death. At the site of the execution of the martyrs of Corinth, a source of pure water miraculously began to flow, symbolizing the blood shed by Christians. According to another version, they planned to drown Kondrad and his disciples in the sea, but the holy martyrs did not drown, but walked on the waters. Then they were caught up and drowned, tying stones to their necks. The iconography has established the image of Galina as a spiritualized maiden with a white veil on her head and an Orthodox cross in her hand. Most often, the saint is located on a gold or single-color background, but there are also icons with a landscape and a view of a beautiful city. Not only women who share the same name with the saint turn to Galina with prayers. The martyr helps to endure doubts and cowardice, condescends to the confession of apostates, and helps everyone who has been persecuted.

Feast of the Icon of the Mother of God of Tambov

Memorial Day of the Holy Martyrs Agapia, Irene and Chionia

Feast of the Icon of the Mother of God Ilinskaya Chernigov

Lent before Easter is divided into two parts: the first is the Holy Lent, and the second is Holy Week (week). These last 7 days are dedicated to certain events related to the life of God's Son. Liturgies in honor of saints are not held there, prayers for the dead are not read. The first day of Holy Week begins on Monday, 6 days before the Resurrection of the Lord. Among Orthodox Christians, this Monday is usually called Great Monday. In churches, in order to penetrate the life of Christ and endure the torment of the crucifixion with him, they remember stories similar to the life of Jesus. This is how the case of Joseph the Beautiful, the interpreter of dreams, is mentioned, who predicted 7 years of food abundance for the pharaoh and the next 7 years of famine. But first, Joseph was betrayed by his own brothers, sold into slavery for a pittance, and his parents were told that his brother had been torn to pieces by a beast in the field. The betrayal of his brothers is compared to the betrayal of Judas. There is also a story about Christ’s expulsion from the church of sellers who make money from sacrifice. But one of the telling stories is the story of a fig tree that has no fruit. According to legend, Jesus and his followers on the way met a fig tree with a crown, but without fruit, and cursed it. At that hour the tree lost its life and became dry. This story symbolizes the meaninglessness of the soul without faith in the Lord, prayer and confession. On Maundy Monday, Christians visit churches, where services are held at the beginning of the day and in the evening. At intervals throughout the day, the altar server reads chapters from the Bible. From this day onwards, believers organize a thorough cleaning of their homes, so that for the celebration of Easter Resurrection, cleanliness will shine everywhere.