Such a professional holiday as “International Civil Aviation Day” was established quite recently, only in 1992. And the initiator of its appearance was none other than the UN General Assembly. Every year this holiday is celebrated on December 7th. But only after two years did this holiday begin to be celebrated at the official level. And 1994 was not chosen by chance, since exactly 50 years ago, i.e. In 1944, in the city of Chicago, the so-called Convention on International Civil Aviation was signed by governments of various countries. It provided for resolving the issue of the safe movement of aircraft in airspace, which was to become common to all nations. But these dates, 1992 and 1994, were noted only at the documentary level. It took several more years for this holiday to begin to be celebrated for real. Since 1996, the following events began to be held on this holiday: - festive processions of civil aviation workers; - summing up the results of the past year; - the successes of the most distinguished workers in this industry are celebrated. December 7 became an official holiday already in 1996 for the reason that a special resolution was finally signed in the UN General Assembly this year. Civil aviation is one of the sectors of the national economy. On the territory of the USSR, the first air route for passenger air transportation was opened back in 1923. The first cities to be connected by air were Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod. The length of the route was 420 km. At first, the Civil Aviation Society was called very simply - “Dobrolet”. And only at the beginning of 1964 a separate ministry was created, which was in charge of air transportation on the territory of the USSR. But it should be noted that December 7 is celebrated all over the world not only by aviators, but also by all people who are not part of the air transportation industry. This category includes: - transportation of both mail and various cargoes; - air search and rescue activities; - the use of aircraft in agriculture, as well as in construction and the oil and gas industry. This also includes not only employees who maintain aircraft, but also helicopters. This holiday is also celebrated in educational institutions where future pilots and other workers who are in demand in civil aviation are trained. But we shouldn’t forget about research institutions that deal with flight safety issues. It should be noted that the 20th century was the century of technical discoveries. And in just 60 years, civil aviation has become in great demand for transporting citizens by air. Thanks to air transport, you can now quickly get not only to different cities in the country, but also to other continents. So December 7 is a truly important holiday that should be celebrated with dignity.

A person who drinks alone is deprived of the companionship and positive emotions that drinking alcohol in company generously gives him. "Do you respect me?!" - a rhetorical question, the answer to which often worries drinking buddies. And during noisy feasts, global problems are touched upon: political instability in the world, the expansion of ozone holes and assistance to the starving blacks of Africa. Good company is important in any business, and especially in drinking strong drinks. Therefore, on December 7, a holiday that seems funny at first glance, but has great philosophical meaning, is celebrated - Drinking Buddy Day. People drink while fishing, in the bathhouse, around the fire after a hunt, at a party on the eve of a wedding, and at a New Year's corporate party. A good mood and pleasure from time spent with a glass of champagne or whiskey very much depends on the company. What is the special meaning and importance of the role of a drinking companion? Firstly, this is a person who will always confirm to his wife over the phone that you are not now with your mistress, but in a neighbor’s bachelor shack. Secondly, an experienced drinking companion will never let you mix incompatible drinks (wine with vodka, beer with cognac), which means he will prevent a severe morning hangover. A true friend will stoically listen to all your problems with a glass of whiskey in hand. He won’t drop it even when he starts to fall asleep while you tell the story about the goat boss for the fifth time. A good drinking companion is almost like a sad knight. He is considerate enough to negotiate with a pub security guard who doesn't like the behavior of a drunk group, or with a taxi driver who doesn't want to take the lifeless body of a passenger home. The drinking buddy is not only Sancho Panas, but also the donkey of Don Quixote’s faithful friend: is it necessary to clarify who will carry his comrade who cannot stand on his feet after the second bottle of tequila? Well, that’s if the taxi driver turned out to be a principled, non-drinking Tajik who speaks Russian poorly... What should be the ideal drinking companion? The drinking buddy needs to be physically strong in order to break in on the first day of anyone who gets in the way of the company going to the wine and vodka store for the third time that evening. However, a good companion is also a person who is mentally sensitive, sympathetic and understanding. Like a real psychologist, he will listen to the complaints of a client lying on a couch, a dog mat or under a table. How a deal will help a patient hobble to the bathroom, how an experienced nurse will serve a glass of brine in the morning. Women, no less than men, love to drink in a narrow circle of like-minded women. A fighting friend who has shared your craving for red wine for many years will never let you call your ex with tearful declarations of love. She will snatch the phone from the hands of her drinking companion and, if the other end managed to answer, she will tell this scoundrel and freak everything that she thinks about him. In colors, turning to squeals and screams until the neighbors start knocking on the radiators. A spiritual feast has its own rituals. A drinking buddy is a person who sacredly honors the laws of drinking: he knows that the toastee drinks to the bottom, just like the toastee... And at the end of the party you can and should sing a song. If all of the listed traits of a sociable drinker are inherent in you, then Drinking Buddy Day is definitely your holiday. “Let us all raise the cup of joy high and greedily join our lips!” - Alfred sings in Verdi's La Traviata. What's on the calendar, December 7? Well, let's shake!

Young noblewomen in Russia in the 19th century. They were known as tremulous, vulnerable, slightly cutesy creatures and completely unadapted to life. The delicacy and some exaltation of provincial girls was emphasized by muslin outfits. From this airy and transparent fabric, dressmakers sewed blouses and dresses for customers, knitted openwork collars and cuffs. In the story "Pittish Happiness" published in 1861, the writer N.G. Pomyalovsky called young pompous girls muslin young ladies. The complete opposite of them was the modest, intelligent and sensitive “Turgenev girl”. In the dictionary V.I. Dahl's word "muslin" means "a dandy who walks in muslin." Its lexical meaning contains a disparaging connotation and indicates a sign of stupidity and bad taste. Centuries later, an unknown joker decided to play on the old expression “muslin young ladies” and came up with “muslin girls.” A funny holiday has been established in honor of these mysterious persons. December 7th is the Day of Kisel Maidens. In the fairy tales “Three Kingdoms - Copper, Silver and Gold” and “Geese-Swans” there is a mention of a mysterious kingdom and an unusual jelly river, a symbol of a carefree and free life, material wealth and well-being. Similar images are found in the folklore of other peoples. The Polynesians have rivers made of coconut oil in their fairy tales, and the French have wine. A symbol of satiety and prosperity in Italian oral folk art is a mountain of Parmesan cheese, in the English - a tree with pies growing on it. It is no coincidence that the heroine of the Russian fairy tale Alyonushka, in search of her brother Ivanushka, turns to the milk river with jelly banks for help. Our ancestors have long eaten a hearty gelatinous dish with a dense consistency, prepared from oats, rye, bran or fruits with berries. In terms of nutritional value, jelly was not inferior to porridge and compotes. In the old days, this dish was eaten with a spoon, not drunk. In the 17th century this dish was prepared by master jelly makers for sale from large barrels at fairs. The fruit and berry drink began to be made at the beginning of the 19th century, when potato starch appeared. Since that time, jelly has become the main dish of the sweet table. To prepare it, there was no need to ferment the main ingredients and keep them for several days, as was done with oats or peas, changing the soaking water many times. The complex process of preparing food is reflected in the saying “The seventh water is jelly.” A low-calorie dessert with a fruit or berry flavor is in no way inferior to juices and fruit drinks in terms of the content of nutrients. Today, jelly is prepared both with and without starch, adding pectin to give the dish viscousness and thickness. This healthy and tasty drink is brewed at home by housewives who honor the traditions of national Russian cuisine. The festive Day of Kisel Maidens encourages competition in the preparation of this once very popular dessert.

To slow down life processes, animals and rodents hibernate. Brown bears, hamsters, gophers, hedgehogs, and badgers fall into a long sleep. In the USA and other countries, the symbol of the spring awakening of nature is the groundhog. The emergence of this rodent of the squirrel family from its burrow indicates imminent warming. Dormice are also found among people. This habit can be explained by the division into larks and owls, the characteristics of the body and banal laziness. December 7 is World Sleeper Day. The people in whose honor this funny holiday was established most often celebrate it in bed. Not only humans, but also representatives of the animal world like to sleep for a long time. This is how they restore their strength and accumulate vital resources. Marmots can spend 15-18 hours dozing during the day. An active possum needs 19 hours of sleep, and a koala needs 22. For lions, like sloths, rest time takes up most of the day and night. The king of beasts sleeps for 20 hours. A domesticated sloth that doesn't need to hunt for food - for as long as 23 hours. A person's circadian rhythm is designed to keep him awake during the day and asleep at night. On average, rest in the dark (which is very important for the production of melatonin, a powerful antioxidant) should last at least 8 hours. Nature designed for babies and children to sleep longer. During sleep, babies actively release growth hormones, developing memory, the central nervous system and the brain. For adults, night rest is no less important. Doctors pay attention to the value of good sleep for health. During this wave-like rhythmic process, the muscles, brain and central nervous system rest. The duration of rest should be a multiple of 1.5 hours. That is, a person needs to sleep 6, 7.5 or 9 hours. After 10 hours, lymph begins to stagnate in the tissues. Therefore, sleeping more than this norm does not bring benefits. Doctors recommend relaxing by taking a vertical position not only at night. Sleeping during daylight hours is beneficial for people of all ages. In kindergarten, 2-2.5 hours are allotted for this process. Adults are advised to take a nap during the day for no more than 20 minutes or 1.5 hours, otherwise waking up, especially after sunset, will be accompanied by a feeling of weakness and headache. Sleep lovers do not react in any way to the recommendations of experts. For them, there are a number of celebrations throughout the year - from the national Finnish Dormouse Day, which falls on July 27, to World Sleep Day. The latter holiday is official and has been celebrated throughout the world in March since 2008 on the initiative of the World Association of Sleep Medicine. It is also recommended to have the ninth dream and lie in bed until noon on December 7th. It’s good if this date falls on a Saturday or Sunday, when you don’t need to rush to work. The comic Day of Sleep Lover encourages everyone who celebrates it to cast aside any doubts, fluff up a pillow, pull a blanket under their nose and surrender to the arms of Morpheus.

The Hermitage is the second museum in the world after the Louvre in terms of the number of works of art collected in one place. The oldest treasury of foreign art in Russia, the inspection of all examples of which requires more than one year, is located in the building of the Winter Palace - the residence of the royal family. December 7th is Hermitage Day in St. Petersburg. Catherine II began collecting a collection for the museum, purchasing 255 works by Flemish and Dutch artists in 1764. The first examples of fine and decorative arts were housed in a special wing of the palace, which was called the Small Hermitage. Collections of paintings for the Empress were acquired in Dresden by the French philosopher-enlightenment Diderot, sculptures in Italy, and during the Soviet era Nadir Shah donated the treasures of the Great Mughals. Increasing collections of works of art captured more and more halls of the palace. Emperors Alexander I and Nicholas I paid close attention to the development of the museum. The collections were replenished with material from archaeological excavations, paintings, and other exhibits. The privilege of enjoying the masterpieces and visiting the museum was available only to a select few. A.S. Pushkin was able to get into its halls only thanks to the patronage of V.A. Zhukovsky. K. Bryullov dreamed of showing paintings by Van Dyck and Rubens to his students. In 1852, the Hermitage was turned into a public art museum and became available to the public. Today the complex includes 5 buildings located on Palace Square and 2 service buildings. The treasury of art contains about 3 million monuments of world culture. The museum staff consists of cats - tailed helpers fight the intensive reproduction of rats and mice. The first of the mustachioed guards was brought by Peter I from Holland. Today cats are an integral part of the Hermitage. Thanks to them, exhibits in 365 museum halls and storerooms are preserved. The museum staff consists of 50 representatives of the cat family. More than 5 million people visit the Hermitage every year. Tourists from all over the world come to admire the masterpieces of art. Sculptures are not only located inside the building - the roof of the Winter Palace is decorated with 176 statues, which cover the chimneys from the eyes of observers. The color of the museum's façade was constantly changing - sometimes pink, sometimes red, sometimes yellow. The green tint appeared during the Great Patriotic War, during which basements were used as bomb shelters. Hermitage Day is celebrated annually on December 7, the day of the Holy Great Martyr Catherine. Thus, the initiators of the holiday pay tribute to the empress, who laid the foundation for the collection of art collections. In honor of the celebration, visiting the museum is free. On Hermitage Day, new exhibitions are opening in St. Petersburg, rare examples of decorative and applied art are being demonstrated, press conferences and other events are being held. This is how the country's main museum celebrates its birthday.

Engineers and mechanics are responsible for maintaining military aircraft in good condition and are involved in the maintenance of both aircraft and helicopters and UAVs. Domestic aviation began to take its first steps during the First World War. In December 1916, a technical and operational service was organized with motorists on staff, the peak of its development occurring in the Soviet period of the country's history. At the same time, its material and educational base was formed, which modern Russia inherited. Aviation Engineering Services (AE) officers, airport ground staff and flight crew members are involved in maintaining aircraft at various stages of their life cycle. Specialists are responsible for the uninterrupted operation of aircraft engines and other aircraft systems - they accept new pieces of equipment, carry out routine maintenance, repairs, and disposal of aircraft and helicopters. The serviceability of the aircraft is also monitored by on-board technicians and engineers for the operation of airborne transport equipment and communications equipment - radio operators. On December 7, these and other specialists are congratulated on the Day of the Aerospace Engineering and Aviation Service. The history of IAS goes back more than a hundred years. Aviation, which destroyed enemy ships, communications and military equipment, began to play a key role and actively influence the outcome of the battles of World War II. Thanks to the dedicated work of IAS technicians and mechanics, fighters, attack aircraft, bombers and reconnaissance aircraft of the Red Army were in airworthy condition. The Workers' and Peasants' Red Air Fleet owed its victories largely to the officers of the engineering and aviation service. USSR Air Force units took part in the Soviet-Finnish, Korean and Afghan wars and other local conflicts. The transition from piston to jet and supersonic aviation, whose aircraft were armed with air-to-air missiles with seeker and air-to-surface radars, required a high level of training of mechanics, engineers and other qualified IAS personnel. Service officers were responsible not only for the maintenance and repair of equipment, but also for the operational condition of the weapons installed on board. Numerous military aviation schools were the forge of engineering personnel in the USSR. The first educational institution of this type was a technical school for training workers, mechanics and craftsmen, which was located in the system of the People's Commissariat of Education. It was opened in Moscow on September 5, 1919. In 1946, the aviation technical school underwent reorganization and became known as the Institute of Engineers of the Red Air Fleet named after. NOT. Zhukovsky. The training of pilots in the Soviet army was carried out in 17 schools, after which young officers received both secondary military and civilian education. The Day of the Aviation Engineering Service of the Russian Aerospace Forces is not an official holiday. Despite this, it is widely celebrated by IAS officers. Therefore, on December 7, the service’s ground personnel and flight crew members are given military ranks and awards, and congratulations are addressed to them from the command of the Aerospace Forces, colleagues, relatives and friends.

National Day of Remembrance in the United States - the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor (National Pearl Harbor Day of Remembrance)

Day of Remembrance for the Victims of the 1988 Earthquake in Armenia

The order was established in 1769 by Catherine II. By order of the Empress, the award was given to those who distinguished themselves on the battlefield. The award was in the shape of a cross with blades widening downwards. In the center was a medallion with the image of St. George the Victorious slaying a serpent.

On December 7 (November 24, old style), according to the folk calendar, the day of Katerina Sannitsa is celebrated; it is also called the day of Katerina Zhenodavitsa. This holiday refers to one of the significant Christian persons, since Catherine was considered the bride of Jesus Christ. Catherine was born in the second half of the 3rd century into a rich and noble family. By the age of 17, she had a fairly high education, loved to read a lot, and had incredible beauty. Grooms from all over the area went to get married. But Catherine refused, citing that only those who could surpass her in wisdom, beauty, nobility and wealth were worthy of her hand. One day, after a night of prayer, Catherine dreamed of Jesus Christ. She realized that this was the betrothed one, superior to herself in everything. The Son of God gave the girl a ring as a sign of engagement. And when she woke up, she saw a ring on her finger. So Catherine became the bride of Christ. When the next pagan holiday was held, Catherine came to Emperor Maximian with convictions to stop idolatry and accept Christianity. The girl's beauty and intelligence impressed the emperor so much that at first he tried to convince her with bribery. Catherine was adamant, for which Maximian subjected her to torture with a terrible instrument of torture. Then the Angel who descended destroyed the car. Seeing this, the emperor's wife converted to Christianity and called on her husband to accept, but the angry ruler ordered the death of his wife and Catherine. The people called St. Catherine the Wife-Giver, since the martyr patronized all brides, married women, and pregnant women. Sunny was named because sledding games were traditionally held on her day. The newlyweds were the first to begin their descent from the mountain, then everyone else. There was also an interesting sign - if lovers move down the mountain together, they will have a happy life together. After the games, a folk feast was held, the children were treated to sweet gifts. It was customary for men to compete on sleds. They harnessed the horses and started the race - whoever gets to the finish line the fastest was considered the most agile. The girls, watching the guys, believed that on Katerina’s day they could meet their future husband. Before dawn, they wondered on the street - the girls loudly called for fate, if the crow of a rooster was heard in response, then good luck would be promised in love. In the evening, they read fortunes on a twig of an apple tree and hid it under the pillow to see their betrothed in a dream. Among the people there were signs on the day of Katerina Sannitsa, predicting the coming weather. So, the starry sky foreshadowed a snowstorm in the coming days. The sun in the sky meant that the winter would be frosty. Fogs and thaw promised warmth for ten days.

The Buddhist holiday Zul is not tied to a specific day of the month; it is always celebrated on the 25th day of the tenth lunar month according to the Buddhist calendar. It is also called the Kalmyk New Year, although this is not entirely correct. Zul is not a full-fledged analogue of this holiday in the European interpretation. Initially, it marked the birth of the universe; later the date began to coincide with the death of Je Tsongkhapa, who was one of the Tibetan lamas. The spiritual essence of this holiday comes down to achieving harmony with oneself and with the outside world. Zul is intended to remind us of the inextricable connection of all of us with the cosmos (universe). At the same time, the importance of respect for others, goodwill towards all living things and care for loved ones is emphasized. Zul is a national Kalmyk holiday, the traditions of which go back to antiquity. And since 2004, it received official status in Kalmykia. Since then it has been a non-working day. Zul is celebrated widely, the annual program includes: • official festive events in various cities with dances, songs and creative performances (all this is based on the traditional cultural heritage of Kalmykia); • family celebrations that take place in homes; • prayers and offerings in Buddhist temples. From the date of the holiday, Kalmyks have long marked the beginning of the new calendar year, but not only. It also marked the coming of age of every representative of the people. After all, the Kalmyks did not have a tradition of celebrating birthdays, nor did they simply know the exact date of birth. Only the year was taken into account. And when celebrating Zul, each Kalmyk simply added one more year to his age. Thus, the holiday was a kind of national birthday, which contributed to the consolidation of the people. Interestingly, according to an older tradition in Zul, only women added a year to themselves. It was believed that women had more to do with the origin of the universe. Men officially became a year older 3-5 days after this, when another holiday was celebrated. It was called “Master of the Year” and symbolized the end of chaos, the formation of the universe in a more orderly and familiar form to people. Traditional ritual actions for the Zul holiday are associated with the worship of the forces of nature and especially the sun, its warmth and light. Kalmyks have long highly valued the fire that drives away the cold and makes it possible to cook food; they believe that without it not only well-being, but also existence in our world is impossible. And this is especially true for nomadic people. The sun is the embodiment of fire. Therefore, in the past, on this holiday, Kalmyks always raised a lit lamp over the yurt. It was fixed on a special pole. Today, lamps are lit in homes. People dress smartly, visit friends, relatives and neighbors, congratulate and treat each other. The celebration begins in the morning. The Kalmyk New Year provides for a bountiful table. It must include some dishes of traditional Kalmyk cuisine. These are sweets, dumplings with lamb and bortsok - wheat crumpets that are cooked with milk, kefir or sour cream. Bortsoki are fried in a large amount of oil and have the shape of a flat cake or bagel. They symbolize the sun. Pastries and sweets are washed down with Kalmyk tea. This specific drink has no analogues in other countries; it looks more like a first course than the tea we are used to. Not only the tea leaves are placed in boiling water, but also salt, as well as nutmeg crushed in butter. Then add milk generously. The drink perfectly saturates and warms, its use requires compliance with certain rules.

Orthodox holidays on December 7:

According to the Orthodox calendar, the Day of Remembrance of the Great Martyr Catherine falls on December 7, but in other areas of Christian teaching it is revered on other dates. The saint suffered for her strong faith, accepting martyrdom, but did not betray the path of purity and truth. She was born in Alexandria in 287, into a wealthy family of a ruler, having the opportunity to study, and her education was very versatile and deep. The mother was a secret Christian and took the girl to the priest. At baptism she received her name, and later became famous as Catherine of Alexandria. Before the ceremony, her name was Dorothea, which translated means “given by God.” In those days, the persecution of Christians was very strong. First of all, the degree of persecution depended on the ruler. So Maximin II Daza, whose reign occurred at the very beginning of the 4th century, was particularly cruel and intolerant of the new religion. Being a pagan, he forced every resident to make blood sacrifices. During one of these celebrations, a young girl showed unprecedented courage. She personally came to the palace and tried to reason with the emperor to stop worshiping pagan gods. Her bright mind helped her to honorably win the discussion with the court philosophers who spoke on behalf of the ruler. For this they paid severely: the fierce Maximin ordered them to be burned alive, since the truth had descended on them, and they had renounced the old gods. Catherine herself was beaten and imprisoned, because the emperor began to have plans for her that went far beyond religious disputes. The girl categorically rejected the inclination towards marriage - it was not for nothing that the status of “Bride of Christ” was assigned to her. The young maiden, possessing incomparable beauty and wisdom, wanted the most worthy groom for herself - a young man superior to her in talents. But she couldn’t choose such a man among earthly husbands. Jesus, appearing to her after she accepted Christianity, gave her a ring - a sign of betrothal and a symbol of his Divine love. Even the official wife of the emperor converted to Christianity, convinced of the truth of the faith, like everyone who communicated with Catherine. After 12 days of imprisonment, the saint was beheaded - this happened in 305. The life contains many terrifying details that confirm the tenacity of her faith. A special instrument was invented for torturing the rebellious Catherine, consisting of 4 wheels. She was not afraid of the torment - she boldly approached herself. But an angel who appeared from heaven destroyed the terrible weapon. That is why the spiked wheel is one of the sacred attributes depicted on icons, along with books, a sword, a crown and a palm branch. When venerating the images of the Great Martyr Catherine, miracles can appear. Such cases are known, and are a visible sign of the saint’s intercession for the believers before the Lord. The same power is possessed by the holy relics that were found by Egyptian Christians in the mid-6th century. According to legend, after the execution the body of the martyr was taken by angels and transferred to Mount Sinai, adjacent to Mount Sinai. After some time, the celebration of the saint was established - no later than the 8th century. Gradually, knowledge spread throughout Eastern and Western Europe. A knightly order was organized under her name. Today, in Western rituals, she is considered the patroness of students for her phenomenal abilities in science. In Russian Orthodoxy, the name of Saint Catherine began to be glorified not immediately - only in the 15th-16th centuries. This is also evidenced by the fact that daughters from princely families were not called by this name, and early monasteries in her honor are extremely rare. In the 18th century, Catherine became the patroness of the female part of the Romanov dynasty. Since that time, veneration has expanded significantly. Today, on Memorial Day, a solemn liturgy is held and religious processions are organized. Charity evenings are dedicated to the holiday in some dioceses. Those who seek family happiness seek the saint’s intercession on this bright holiday. She blesses everyone who seeks peace and well-being to do good deeds to save their souls.

Memorial Day of the Martyr Mercury of Smolensk

Memorial Day of the Holy Great Martyr Mercury of Caesarea