In honor of the Spanish composer and conductor Pablo Casals, International Cello Day was established and widely celebrated on December 29. The Catalan, born in 1876, had already mastered the violin, flute and piano by the age of 4. Later P. Casals began to play the cello. This bowed-string instrument became the main instrument for the musician, who performed with the orchestras of A. Ziloti, S. Rachmaninov and A. Goldenweiser. On the birthday of Pablo Casals, International Cello Day is celebrated - International Cello Day. The Catalan was also widely known as a public figure. Thanks to Casals, the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra was created, which he conducted until 1936. Since 1924, he organized a music magazine and concerts on Sundays for workers in Catalonia. Because of Franco's regime, Casals emigrated from Spain in 1936. But even while living in Puerto Rico, he did not stop popularizing classical music and cello playing. Pablo Casals initiated the creation of festivals in San Juan and Prada. He wrote several oratorios and the "Hymn of Peace" for the UN. Casals was distinguished by an uncompromising moral position and loyalty to moral ideals. As a sign of protest and disagreement with the dictatorship of fascism, he, along with other musicians, refused extensive concert activity. It is therefore no coincidence that, when presenting Casals with the Legion of Honor (an award established by Napoleon Bonaparte) in 1945, the French Prime Minister said: “You are one of the voices of the world’s conscience.” The circle of outstanding cellists also includes Pierre Fournier, Andre Navarre, Paul Tortelier, Maurice Marcheal and Jacqueline Dupre. World-famous Russian-speaking musicians and composers include K.A. Minyar-Beloruchev, A.V. Kuznetsov, N.G. Gutman and, of course, M.L. Rostropovich. The cello was their favorite instrument. But they continued the traditions of P. Casals not only in music. Thus, M. Rostropovich is widely known for his social activities and uncompromising position regarding political repression. At the dacha of the musician and his wife, opera singer V.I. Vishnevskaya, the disgraced writer, future Nobel laureate, A.I. lived in the guest house for more than 5 years. Solzhenitsyn. The cello as a musical instrument appeared in the 16th century. Since then, her parts have been included in sonnets, suites, variations and unaccompanied concerts. Possessing wide expressive capabilities, the cello is in demand both in solo roles and as part of a string ensemble or symphony orchestra. She is called upon to help when it is necessary to emphasize the lyricism or tragedy of the moment. Everyone who appreciates the passionate sound of a musical instrument and the skill of virtuosos celebrates International Cello Day on December 29.

Polar bears are polar predators, and the largest on earth. Their weight ranges from 500-800 kg. Due to their thick, warm wool, their habitats are located along the northern shores of Eurasia and America on glaciers. They are excellent swimmers. They feed on meat, hunting seals and fish. In total there are 22-30 thousand polar bears, and in Russia there are about 5-7 thousand. Each year, the female gives birth to 2-3 cubs, just in time for December. It was in this month that it was decided to establish the Polar Bear Birthday holiday. The initiators were the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Marine Mammal Council in Russia. Since 2008, the holiday has been held on December 29. The celebration is celebrated throughout the Arctic territory of Russia by employees of environmental stations, laboratories, as well as participants in polar bear rescue projects. Unfortunately, the polar bear population is slowly declining. Every year, 5 thousand cubs are born, but not all of them survive to adulthood. Females are able to reproduce only at the age of 5-6 years. In addition, their extermination by poachers for meat and skins has been impossible to stop for several decades. But the main reason for the death of animals is the global melting of glaciers. But it is on them that clubfooted animals lead their way of life. Human pollution also leads to the death of white predators. The polar bear is included in the Red Book of Russia. It is forbidden to destroy it. But not all countries are in solidarity. For example, in North America there are some rules under which it is legal to kill a white animal for the purpose of self-defense. Sometimes the places where the predator hunts are covered with ice, and catching prey becomes impossible, then the hungry animal goes to people, rummages through the garbage and becomes a victim of human self-defense. Modern zoos around the world are trying in every possible way to support this species. But keeping Arctic predators in captivity, much less breeding them, is not easy. Since in natural conditions the animals are accustomed to an active lifestyle, they walk hundreds of kilometers and hunt for food for days on end. Zoos are trying to diversify their life in captivity - expanding their pens, supplying food to the enclosure, imitating natural conditions. Special organizations have been created on the territory of the Russian Federation to protect and conduct research on polar bears. Among them are the Russian Geographical Society, the Institute of Ecology and Evolution named after A.N. Severtsov, state project “Bear Patrol”, Marine Mammal Council, Russian Arctic National Park, “Taimyr Nature Reserves”. Their job is to study the life of bears, protect the animal from human actions, and also educate people about the rules of behavior around the Arctic predator.

Work in internal affairs bodies requires employees to have balance and self-control, professional observation and communication skills. For the purpose of professional selection of personnel and prevention of loss of health among police officers, on December 29, 1973, a psychophysiological department was organized on the basis of the Central Psychonarcology Laboratory.

No one close to you is deprived of a gift? Will there be enough food and drinks for everyone invited to the New Year? These and other questions torment everyone who is familiar with the pre-holiday fever and worries about planned activities. On December 29, as a sign of support for everyone worried about the New Year’s celebrations, “So much more needs to be done!” Day is celebrated. So, there are a couple of days left until December 31st, and you are in a panic because you don’t have time to do anything? Is your head spinning from the problems that have piled up? To reduce anxiety and calm worries, you need to set a plan. It can include both purely ordinary things (throw away old things, decorate the house, buy gifts and create a holiday menu), as well as more sublime ones: • forgive the grievances that interfere with your life; • take stock of the past year; • decide on goals for the next 365 days; • ask for forgiveness, albeit mentally, from everyone you have offended. Some people perceive Still Need To Do Day as an opportunity to exhale before the New Year's shopping rush. And someone is engaged in spiritual work - remembering the events of the past year and conducting a thorough analysis of them. Day “So much more needs to be done!” helps you concentrate and separate important goals from unimportant ones. The holiday gives an impetus to try to get as much done as possible. Achieving your goals brings indescribable pleasure and sets you on the path to new achievements. An alarmist who is worried about completing all the tasks set for the New Year should involve as many people as possible in the fun holiday that falls on December 29th. Relatives and friends will be happy to help complete the planned tasks. Close people are able to solve both serious and minor problems so that the person dear to them does not experience discomfort on New Year's Eve. Everything planned can be accomplished together: bringing gifts to grandma, decorating the house for the holiday, emptying the garage of junk for tenants who will start using it on January 1st. The ability to delegate authority is a sure way to get free time to solve tasks that no one else can complete without you. Asking for forgiveness from a friend, confessing your love and congratulating your first teacher on the upcoming year is really what you need to do in the old year. There is no need to put off until later not so much things as the impulses of the soul. On December 29, extend a thread of love to everyone you care about, because the most valuable thing is human relationships. Day “So much more needs to be done!” encourages us to remember what is most important - loved ones. Have time to demonstrate the wealth and generosity of your soul in the old year in order to meet the new one with a clear conscience!

At the center of the plot of the Soviet cartoon "The Magic Word" is a cocky hare, whose behavior provoked forest animals to show anger, but managed to get away with it. Kosoy used polite wording: “I admit my mistake. You don’t hit someone who’s down!” No less miraculous are the magic words familiar to everyone from childhood: “thank you,” “please,” “thank you.” We often forget and do not use them when communicating with loved ones, believing that they guess how grateful we are to them for the good done or the service rendered on time. The winners of the Oscar film award will not agree with this formulation, who, standing on stage with the coveted statuette in their hands, sincerely thank the Lord God, parents, lovers, friends and the film crew for their help in achieving their intended goal - receiving a prize from the American Film Academy. Representatives of religious faiths, doctors - patients, teachers and mentors - students express their gratitude to the Higher powers no less heartfeltly for their help in difficult situations. An unusual holiday encourages you to feel the value of ordinary things. December 29th is the Day of Search for Forgotten Gratitude. Magic words not only help you establish relationships with people, but also help you begin to live in harmony with yourself. One of the popular psychological practices is writing a letter of gratitude to a person whose resentment does not allow you to live in peace and constantly stirs your soul. For this therapeutic procedure, you do not need to waste time, paper and ink in a pen. It has been noticed that the longer the written message, the sooner the resentment will disappear and relief will come. American scientists from the Department of Communication Studies at the University of Montana, Cassandra Berzins and Stephen M. Yoshimura, studied the connection between expressing gratitude and human well-being. The researchers came to the following conclusion: people who feel and express gratitude feel filled with energy and more satisfied with life than those who do not experience this feeling. In addition, it turned out that the experimental participants filled with gratitude rarely get sick, sleep better and are more physically active. Friendly people are optimistic about the future, which is why they are generally more successful than those who are not used to saying words of gratitude. Scientists recommend starting to express gratitude daily and remembering to say the word “thank you” to others. To do this, you can start a gratitude journal and share your observations with him. Each person will find words and reasons to express gratitude to others for the good they have done for him. But a formal “thank you” said according to the rules of etiquette will not work when using this practice. A smile and warmth in the heart of the interlocutor, even if sometimes imaginary, is caused by sincere gratitude that comes from the depths of the soul. The Day of Searching for Forgotten Gratitude encourages you to practice this simple way of achieving inner harmony, good mood and a positive attitude.

For four weeks in anticipation of Christmas, Catholics prepare for the most important holiday of the year. This period of spiritual cleansing and fasting is called Advent. Masses filled with special meaning and content are celebrated in his honor. In the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Nativity fast begins on December 29 with Maslenitsa and ends on Christmas Eve, Chragaruis, January 5. Barekendan (translated from Armenian as the joy of life) symbolizes the virtues and happiness that Adam and Eve experienced before their expulsion from paradise. On Maslenitsa, believing Armenians eat any food except apples - fruits from the tree of knowledge. The liturgy in honor of the holiday is celebrated in the church behind the closed curtain of the altar. On Barekendan, followed by a seven-day fast, people are allowed to come out of mourning and enjoy life, forgetting about suffering. In ancient times, Armenians organized fairs, noisy folk festivals and lavish feasts in honor of the holiday. Today, like hundreds of years ago, believers prepare meat and poultry dishes, panraats (bread with cheese), kalagesh soup made from lentils with onions and matsoni for Barekendan. National sweets always appear on the table - gata, baklava, bkhbhik and halva. Orthodox Christians fast for 40 days, while parishioners of the Armenian Apostolic Church abstain from animal foods for only a week. This was done in ancient times by the decision of the holy fathers. So that it would not be painful for people to observe the 40-day fast, it was divided into 4 weeks and distributed throughout the year. In addition to food restrictions, believers abstain from swearing, foul language, lying and committing other sins. The time of fasting is used for repentance and prayer, spiritual cleansing before the symbolic meeting on the night of January 6-7 with Jesus Christ. On December 29, the Armenian Apostolic Church also celebrates the Feast Days of Saints James Zebedee and John the Evangelist. Both disciples of Christ witnessed his transfiguration and resurrection. The honoring on December 29 of the two apostles, the first martyr James and John the Theologian, gives Barekendan solemnity and special significance. Armenian Maslenitsa precedes every major church holiday, after which fasting begins. Every Christian approaches it with repentance, humility of soul and hope for the mercy of God. But the day before it starts, it is customary to have a rich and satisfying dinner, washed down with wine. In honor of Barekendan, festivities are organized with songs and dances, in which believers of all ages take part. So every year on December 29, 7 days before Christmas, Maslenitsa of the Nativity Fast is celebrated in Armenia.

Irish Constitution Day

According to the folk calendar, December 29 (December 16, old style) is the day of Ageya Ineseus. This date originates from the church day of honoring the memory of the prophet Haggai, who lived in the 4th century BC. As one of the 12 prophets of the Old Testament, Haggai lived during the reign of King Darius Hystaps, who stopped the construction of the Temple of Jerusalem in 500 BC. e. After the change of power, the new king Zerubbabel and the high priest of those times, Jesus, made no attempts to revive the construction of the temple. When Haggai wrote a book of prophecy aimed at showing the people the inaction of the Jewish government, construction resumed. Among the people, Agea Ineseus was considered the patron saint of the human soul. People believed that she was separated from human flesh and was able to wander in sleep or after death. This is precisely what is associated with the tradition of opening doors and windows in houses where a person died so that his soul could find a way out of the home. A towel tied to the gate served to wipe away her farewell tears, and the custom of setting the table on memorial days made it possible for the soul to be satisfied with the vapors of food. On Ageev day they prayed to the holy prophet for deceased friends and relatives. Those who had recently given birth to a child should light a candle in the temple for the health of the newborn. In prayer they turned to Haggai with a request to take care of the child’s soul and guide it along the righteous path. Ageev's day was nicknamed Inesei (to sow frost) because on this day the future weather was determined by frost. If the pillars and branches of the trees were covered with frost, then the New Year holidays were to be expected to be warm. But if Ageya was hit by frost, he held on until Epiphany. Snowdrifts near the fences foreshadowed a bad harvest in the coming year. In addition, this day determined the weather for April.

Orthodox holidays on December 29:

Memorial Day of the Prophet Haggai

Memorial Day of St. Sophia of Suzdal

Memorial Day of Blessed Queen Theophania of Byzantium

Memorial Day of the Holy Martyr Marin of Rome