January 17 is Children's Invention Day. This international holiday is celebrated on the birthday of Benjamin Franklin, whose name was included in the list of outstanding representatives of Humanity by the World Peace Council. Benjamin Franklin, a journalist, inventor, scientist, and politician, was at the origins of the founding of the United States as an independent state; he was the first American to become a foreign member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences (now the Russian Academy of Sciences). The US $100 bill features a portrait of Benjamin Franklin. Children's Day - Inventors - this is how the January date sounds in a different interpretation. The child inventor was Benjamin Franklin. As a child, he invented a simple device to increase the speed of a swimmer, making planks the size of the foot and hand, demonstrating their speed capabilities to his surprised friends. Swimmers have been using these devices for three centuries; fins, as B. Franklin’s childhood invention is called, are familiar to everyone, even those who have never used them. Franklin was not the only child whose childhood invention is actively used in people's lives. Every year, thousands of children invent and create wonderful things that confidently take a place in the everyday lives of children and adults. Chester Greenwood invented fur earmuffs when he was 15 years old. At the age of 16, George Nissen made a trampoline, the design of which has not fundamentally changed to this day. 13-year-old Benny Benson created a sketch of the Alaska State Flag. Maxim Lema, at the age of 12, created the BTI robot, which can perform the functions of a measuring engineer. 11-year-old Frank Epperson revealed a delicious secret to the people - popsicles. At the age of 13, Dmitry Reznikov designed a toothbrush for astronauts working on the orbital station. A new method of printed graphics was invented by Anastasia Rodimina, and Vadim Khamich invented a device that blocks the ignition of a drunk driver’s car. Snowmobile, plasticine, toy truck, mobile battery, Braille. It turns out that these are all inventions of children. Children's inventions do not have to be known to the whole world. How many simple things necessary in everyday life were created by children's hands as a result of unconventional thinking and love for moms and dads. Take a closer look at the child. Perhaps he's not just lounging around on the couch. Who knows, maybe at this very moment he is thinking about the next important invention that will amaze, if not all of Humanity, then his immediate environment. Don't interfere, let me think. Discoveries are made not only as a result of painstaking work, but also in the process of long reflection. In childhood, everyone worked wonders of ingenuity: they came up with plots and rules for new games, made up all sorts of excuses to justify any actions, and created simple devices for all sorts of little things. They thought that nothing was impossible and tried to invent incredible things. They were invented by those who persistently sought to make their dreams, desires, and goals come true. Don't stop children from thinking and creating. And then on January 17 there will be many more children - inventors celebrating this date.

Ski tourism is developed in many countries around the world. To transport athletes to snow-capped peaks, as well as to amusement parks, cableways are used. They are also actively used to transport local residents. In Armenia, the Tatev road connects 2 high-mountain villages, in Nizhny Novgorod - the banks of the Volga. Both highways solve the problem of lack or shortage of transport. Paying tribute to this miracle of engineering, Cable Car Day is celebrated on January 17th. Cable Car Day was established in honor of Andrew Smith Holliday of San Francisco. The American inventor owns the first patent for a cable car, issued on January 17, 1871. It took 2 years from obtaining a construction permit to bringing the idea of ​​an aerial tram to life. In 1873, Holiday built the world's first cable car on Clay Street to serve a purely utilitarian function. From that time on, highways began to be laid over the English Thames, the Table Mountains in Africa and the high mountain gorges of Switzerland. Suspended highways are built not only over river valleys and in the mountains, but also in large cities. The longest of them, 76 km long, is located in Gabon, Africa. The road, which stands on 858 towers, was launched in 1962. It is not used for tourism purposes: its trolleys transport manganese ore mined in the mines of Gabon. As in the 42 km long cable car from Sweden, which has been used since 1942 to transport marble and lime from the local cement plant. The main line in Gabon competes with Hon Tom. This road connects 2 Vietnamese islands, the distance between which is 78.9 km. Tourists spend 15-20 minutes on the road, watching picturesque views of nature and fishing villages from cabins. Another cable car in Vietnam, Vinpearl, was built to transport travelers from the mainland to Hon Tre Island, where there is a large amusement park with attractions. Vinpearl Cable Car, with a length of 3.3 km, is the longest road in the world that is located over the sea. Tourists get to the peaks of the Gulmarg resort in India, standing at an altitude of 2,700 m, along a 5 km long cable car. This Himalayan cable-pulled road is considered the highest: the trolleys float over the gorges at an altitude of 3,100 - 4,114 m above sea level. The Peak 2 Peak Gondola in Canada connects two mountain peaks - Whisler and Blackcomb. The funicular is known for its record distance between supports - 3 km, which is the longest length for a cable car of this type. In Russia, as well as throughout the world, cable lifts are used to transport tourists. This is the Psekhako-II-AZ road in Sochi, serving up to 3,000 people per hour, and the high-mountain highway in Crimea, whose trolleys run along the route Miskhor - Sosnovy Bor - Ai-Petri. There are no intermediate towers between the last two landing stations. This became the basis for including the Crimean cable car in the Guinness Book of Records as having the longest unsupported span in Europe. Cable-powered lifts move hundreds of thousands of people around the world in trolleys, cabins and chairs every day. In honor of the invention of this type of transport, Cable Car Day was established, which is celebrated annually on January 17.

Artists, writers, photographers, musicians and representatives of other creative professions are visited by muses, serving as a source of inspiration. They put divine images into them, which, thanks to the talent of the master, are embodied in works of art. January 17 is the Day of Creativity and Inspiration - a holiday that motivates the implementation of the most daring goals and plans. Art and science are closely intertwined in many things and, above all, in a non-trivial approach to solving various problems. Thus, creativity is considered an integral part of mathematics. This discipline develops abstraction abilities and the ability to work with intangible objects. Derivation of a formula and proof of a theorem that has not been given to scientists for many years is often accompanied by the cry of “Eureka!” This legendary exclamation of Archimedes, the ancient Greek mathematician and engineer, is considered an expression of joy and jubilation. A divine spark and insight overtook the scientist lying in a bathtub with water and led to the solution of a difficult problem. An example of the fact that a creative person can be equally talented in both art and science is Leonardo da Vinci. In all areas of activity in which this artist, musician, writer, scientist and inventor was engaged, he achieved excellence. On the one hand, Michelangelo owes this to his innate gift, on the other hand, to hard work, an inquisitive mind and tireless creative search. The genius of the Renaissance relied primarily on himself, and not on divine providence and the muses. The greatest surrealist Salvador Dali waited for inspiration, half asleep, with a heavy key in his hand. The most vivid images and subjects came to the artist while he was dozing. In order not to forget his dream, Dali sat down after a hearty dinner on an uncomfortable chair and picked up the key. Nearby, the Catalan genius placed a steel bucket or a large plate. As soon as the artist fell asleep soundly, the key fell out of his hands and landed with a thud on the bottom of the utensil. Dali immediately woke up and began to write down or sketch the images and surreal scenes that came to mind. Some creative people always carry a notebook with them in case of sudden insight. The artist Pablo Picasso once said: “Inspiration, when it comes to me, finds me at work.” The Muse visits those who constantly do what they love, improving their skills and abilities. Therefore, the Day of Creativity and Inspiration was not invented for lazy people. This holiday is truly celebrated by those who do not wait for brilliant ideas and bright images to appear in their heads, but work tirelessly every day in the field of art or science.

All people make promises to themselves from time to time. But it is not always possible to fulfill them, as circumstances, lack of proper motivation or other reasons may interfere. There is a feeling of guilt before oneself, a feeling of incompleteness and dissatisfaction. The situation happens often to all people. To experience relief and reconsider your circumstances, you may need to cancel past promises and make new plans for your life. Don't put it off for a long time. January 17 is recognized as the Day of Broken Promises. This is a holiday that is dedicated to self-forgiveness, and was created to say goodbye with a clear conscience and abandon all promises made previously. The main goal of the day is to forgive yourself, free your conscience from reproaches. The holiday is quite funny and ironic, but it has a certain meaning. Some people make promises to themselves hastily. For example, after an unpleasant situation with friends, they may decide not to trust anyone or make friends anymore. However, when feelings have subsided and thoughts have come into order, the natural desire to find friends arises again. The realization comes that the decision was hasty, partly even reckless. Although it achieved its goal, helping to learn to understand people, its further adherence is already a burden. Despite the benefits received, a feeling of guilt remains inside. To get rid of it, you can take advantage of this day, dedicated to self-forgiveness, breaking your own promises with a clear conscience. You can mentally prepare yourself for this day if you want to free yourself from your own vows. It’s impossible to remember everything, so it will be useful to think about the data for the last year the day before. You can write it down in a notebook and analyze which of them remained unfulfilled. This will help you put things in order in your inner feelings and thoughts, and set yourself up for the annulment of some. Broken Promise Day is celebrated on January 17th. This date refers to the New Year holidays; it was not chosen by chance. Most people decide to change themselves and their lives on New Year's Day. Because at this time they most hope for a brighter future, better hopes, new goals, plans. The advent of the New Year is associated with the fulfillment of long-standing desires. Despite bright hopes, not all promises and desires come true. Therefore, after the New Year, they set a date for the day on which people can free themselves from previous plans and goals. On the Day of Broken Promises, according to the meaning of the holiday, only promises can be annulled. But this time has nothing to do with desires, dreams, hopes. There is a clear difference between these concepts. Desires are dreams, and their fulfillment does not always depend on a person’s efforts. But keeping promises to yourself always depends on the person himself. And people in different countries often make such promises to themselves, according to the traditions of the New Year holidays. These include plans that a person plans to work on during the coming year. These may include: • Spend less money on unnecessary goods. • Help other people more. • Change eating habits, for example, eat more healthy, nutritious foods. • Lose excess weight. • Maintain a daily routine. • Spend less time watching TV, social media feeds. . Every year, some websites publish rankings of the most common promises people make to themselves. Statistics show that 80% remain unachieved. Therefore, on January 17, on the Day of Broken Promises, you can also refuse the promises you made to yourself.

On January 17 every year, the Catholic Church remembers Saint Antonio. Late December – early January – Christmas holidays, carnivals. In conjunction with these solemn events, the Memorial Day of Anthony of Egypt (Feast of San Antonio Abate) is held with honors. Christians revere him as the protector of animals. The Saint enjoys special love in Spain. Pets are brought to the church: cats, dogs, horses, goats and other animals. Catholics dress up their pets in unusual clothes and carnival costumes. The festive procession passes by the church, blessed and sprinkled with holy water by priests from the porch. In the evening, especially in villages, fires are lit, over which horse riders jump. In this way, the ritual of purification of animals takes place: all illness and disease are washed away. The celebration of honoring Antonio in the Spanish settlement of San Bartolome de Pinares became especially popular. Guests of honor, residents from surrounding villages, officials, and veterinarians are invited to hold fire events. Horses, scorched by flames, walk through the fire in colorful outfits. Anthony is considered the founder of monasticism and hermitage. He comes from a rich family. Born in the 3rd century, in the capital of Upper Egypt, Nen-Nesut. At a young age (at the age of 20) he lost his parents. In grief for his parents, guided by faith in God, the Saint decides to distribute all his acquired wealth to the poor and wretched and leave his father’s house. Anthony retires to the desert, 100 km from Alexandria, the northern capital of Egypt. This area was considered the most severe, deserted place. The saint spent all his time in prayer and fasting, surrounded by wild animals. The animals not only did not touch Antonio, but also, by the will of God, warmed him with their warmth during the cold season. After some time, the holy hermit headed towards his native village, where he settled in a tomb behind a closed door. Caring believers supported the ascetic monk, bringing him meager food. A life full of hardships turned Antonio into an exhausted man, ready to give his soul to God at any moment. Residents, seeing the critical situation of the hermit, moved him to the church. He could no longer walk on his own. Here, under the shadow of the holy vaults, the hermit recovered. The earthly life of the saint did not end there. Ahead were the exploits of hermitage in a Roman abandoned fortress on the eastern bank of the Pispir. After many years of ascetic solitude, Antonio came out to people twice, guided by God. The saint supported the believers in their persecution by Arius, in accepting martyrdom. Antonio died at the advanced age of 105 years. The saint felt the approach of death and gave the order to his disciples to maintain faith in God under any life circumstances; he ordered the body to be buried away from human worship.

The role of the teacher and coach in shaping the student’s personality and professional skills is very great. In Japan, a sensei who has reached a high level of skill not only teaches martial techniques to his students, but also serves as a role model for them in behavior and lifestyle. Both a clergyman and any other enlightened person can become a spiritual mentor. Thus, Muhammad Ali is known not only for his sporting achievements. The professional boxer, who won fights in the ring in the heavy weight category more than once, refused to participate in the Vietnam War. The outstanding athlete became an idol of youth thanks to his pacifist beliefs and fortitude, because... was not afraid to refuse service in the US Army under threat of imprisonment. The killing of innocent people was contrary to the principles of Islam, which the athlete professed. At the peak of his career, Muhammad Ali was stripped of all his titles and banned from competition for 3 years. But this did not force him to renounce his religious beliefs and did not break him - upon returning to the sport, the boxer regained the title of world champion and other regalia. January 17, Muhammad Ali's birthday, is International Mentoring Day. Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. was the boxer’s name before joining the Nation of Islam movement and changing his name in 1964. The athlete’s childhood occurred during the peak years of racial oppression of blacks in the United States. Mockery and constant humiliation from his white peers forced the boy to join the boxing section. However, victory at the Olympic Games and a gold medal at the age of 18 did not open the door to high society for Cassius Clay. The dream of equal rights with white people turned out to be unattainable even with great merits and awards. At that time, the Nation of Islam society dealt with racial inequality and the protection of the rights of blacks. Cassius Clay attended a speech by its leader, Elijah Muhammad, in 1959. Visiting the mosque and communicating with the future spiritual mentor had a great influence on the boxer. A few years later, he converted to Islam and never regretted it once in his life. Muhammad Ali wrote that thanks to religion, he “felt spirituality in his life.” Prayer and doing good deeds became the meaning of his life. In 1998, he became a UN peace envoy, and in 2002 he went to Afghanistan. During the three-day mission, he meets with adults and children, prays and gives them faith in a better future. After the terrorist attacks in America in 2011, Muhammad Ali declared that Islam is a religion of calm and peace that does not support terrorism and violence, and this helped to perk up the spirit of many Muslims. The boxer spent his entire life helping the poor, building gyms, donating to the construction of a mosque in Chicago, praising God and promoting his religion - calling for goodness, peace and mutual respect. Thanks to Muhammad Ali, many of his compatriots were imbued with the doctrine of Islam and became Muslims. The athlete’s contribution to the spiritual development of society is so high that the International Mentoring Day was established in his honor, which is celebrated on January 17.

All over the globe, the most unusual holidays are celebrated from year to year. And, as a rule, they are invented by people trying to look at life from a non-standard angle, supplement it with inspiration, or just have a lot of fun. Such holidays are often built on things that many consider trivial. However, in reality it is often worth it. For example, January 17 is the Day of Appeasing the Telephone Deity. And who would not agree that such a device as a telephone occupies a very important place in the life of every person? Yes, each of us in the current realities simply cannot imagine our life without a phone. He is always with a person, even when he sleeps. So, sometimes it is because of him that various kinds of incidents occur. After all, the one who sits on the phone is capricious. He keeps in touch with the entire Celestial Empire and understands how important his work is. And sometimes he doesn’t mind making a joke. Then it begins to connect with the wrong person. And sometimes, in principle, it refuses to connect, no matter how much we wait for this call. Common situation? And at this moment the person begins to make circles one after another, while hypnotizing his device. And sometimes patience comes to an end and this very device flies straight into the wall from rage. But in reality, everything turns out to be much simpler. All that is required is to pour a glass of something tasty and keep him company (an obligatory ritual is to clink glasses with the phone). And there are other equally good options. For example, get up in the morning, collect a bag of “goodies” and give it to all the honest telephone fraternity living in the house. And most importantly, do not forget to promise to say only the best. Or you can generally have a blast with him, twirling in a fiery dance. There are also those who, to appease us, arrange interesting quests so that phones do not disrupt our plans and do not distort what is said. They overcome a wide variety of obstacles arranged by the deity. So on January 17, it is customary to appease the telephone deity so that at the other end of the line they talk to you politely, to the point, and the connection is not interrupted. After all, the holiday itself is an excellent reason to have fun and bring the most daring and extravagant ideas to life. Why not?

On January 17 (January 4, old style), according to the folk calendar, the feast of Zosima the Beekeeper is celebrated. It takes its name from the church day of honoring the memory of the martyr Zosimus of Cilicia. But for people, his name more evoked the idea of ​​Saint Zosima of Solovetsky, who was popularly considered the patron saint of home beekeeping and forest honey collection. Zosima the beekeeper was asked in prayer to give a good harvest of honey. Traditionally, a bowl of honey or honey sweets was placed on the dining table. It was believed that the abundance of snow on the fields on a given day foreshadows a year generous with honey. In Zosima the Beekeeper, there was a ritual among the people to survive the devil and his pack from the earth. To do this, people changed into clothes turned inside out, lit torches, armed themselves with iron rods or pokers and went to drive away the devil. The role of the devil was played by a man dressed in a bearskin. When a crowd pretended to pounce on him, the devil took off his fur coat and ran away, and returned back in human form. Rejoicing at the victory, the youth jumped over the fire. In the house, the owners walked around the rooms with the icon and at the same time read a prayer to drive out evil spirits. To protect against damage and evil spirits, a talisman was made from thistle. It was kept under the pillow for seven days, hidden from the public eye, and then brought to the healer. She boiled thistles with wax, reading out incantations. They wore such a talisman around the neck near the cross. Girls who performed fortune-telling in previous days could find out the result of the truthfulness of fortune-telling on the evening of Zosima the Bee-Keeper. To do this, we went outside and looked at the sky. If the constellation Ursa Major was located on the right side of the fortuneteller, it means that the results of the divination were correct, if the Milky Way was false, and the whole year she had to walk without the matchmaker. According to folk signs, the weather was predicted on the day of Zosima the Beekeeper. Thus, a clear sky with a full moon foreshadowed the flood of the river after the snow melted. Hanging clouds promised severe cold. Also, deteriorating weather conditions were foreshadowed by fox barking. If you saw a red sunset and a bright sunrise, you expected warming.

Museum Selfie Day is held on the third Wednesday in January and invites everyone to visit the museum and take a selfie. This day promotes awareness of the great collections of works held in museums. Many museums do not allow photography. However, there is one day when an exception is made. On Museum Selfie Day, participating museums encourage visitors to take a selfie next to their favorite piece of art. Besides going to a museum to take a selfie, there are many other reasons to visit a museum. Here are some of these reasons:

Orthodox holidays January 17:

Every year on January 17, the Orthodox Church celebrates the Council of the 70 Apostles. The holiday was founded to show that each of the seventy saints is worthy of equal veneration. All of them were chosen by Jesus Christ in the last year of his earthly life to preach the Gospel and serve the Lord. The fact that Jesus Christ chose seventy more disciples in addition to twelve is reported in the Gospel of Luke. This happened in the city of Jerusalem after the third Passover of Jesus Christ. He gave the chosen apostles instructions that they were to follow. After the descent of the Holy Spirit took place, the seventy apostles went to different countries to preach the Word of God. Some of them became associates of the first twelve disciples of Christ. Many of them suffered martyrdom, and some were imprisoned. However, not all the disciples chosen by Jesus were able to fulfill their great mission, which was entrusted to them by the Lord. The Orthodox Church approved the celebration of the Council of the 70 Apostles in order to show the equality of each of them and in the future to prevent possible disagreements in their veneration. The first 12 apostles are directly mentioned in the Gospel. The closest chosen ones of Jesus Christ were Andrew, Peter, Philip, James, John, Matthew, Thomas, Zebedee, Matthew, Jacob, Bartholomew, Judas and James Alpheus. After the betrayal of Judas, Matthias was elected in his place. Thus, the number of nearby students was replenished. Many of those who were included in the full list of the seventy apostles became bishops in new churches and were the most devoted preachers of Orthodoxy. They are credited with many feats aimed at fighting representatives of paganism. The Church honors the memory of these saints as preachers of the doctrine of the Consubstantial and Indivisible Trinity. A complete list of the apostles cannot be found in the books of the New Testament, but information about them is contained in the Menaion-Cheti. The 70 followers of Christ include: Mark the Evangelist, James the Righteous, Cleopas, Joseph, Barnabas, Simeon, Luke the Evangelist, Ananias, Thadley, Prochorus, Philip, Stephen the Archdeacon, Silas, Nicanor, Archippus, Timon, Epaphras, Parmenes, Onesimus, Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Urvan, Silouan, Amplia, Criscent, Stachy, Andronicus, Crispus, Epenet, Asinkrit, Narcissus, Rufus, Apellius, Agave, Rodion, Aristobulus, Sosipatra, Phlegon, Jason, Hermu, Lucia, Patrov, Hermia, Lina, Philologus, Gaius, Clement, Olympanos, Onesiphorus, Evoda, Quartus, Tertius, Erastus, Mark, Sosthenes, Zina, Codratus, Carp, Apollos, Epaphroditus, Tychicus, Achaicus, Aristarchus, Trophimus, Puda, Fortunatus, Akilu, Artema, John, Dionysius the Areopagite. The fame of the apostolic acts has reached our days. The disciples of Jesus Christ invested a lot of effort and even gave their lives for the general enlightenment of peoples. Apostle Andrew spent a lot of time in Rus'. One of the seventy saints, Clement, preached in the southern regions. He was appointed by the Apostle Peter to the rank of bishop of the Roman Church. Clement was forced to make a sacrifice to the pagan gods. After disobedience, the pagans exiled him to the quarries, which were located in Chersonesus. Once on the territory of modern Crimea, the preacher contributed to the acceptance of holy baptism by local residents. Having learned about this, Emperor Trajan ordered Clement to be drowned in the sea. Thanks to the sermons of the saints whom Paul and Peter ordained as bishops, people from various countries accepted Orthodoxy. The religion spread from the territory of modern European states to India and Africa. Many people know the holy acts of the evangelists Mark and Luke, who were witnesses to the earthly life of Christ and his followers. According to church legend, on the night of Jesus’ Passion on the Cross, Mark, wrapped in a cloak, followed him, but ran away from the soldiers. Luke was also one of the seventy apostles who preached the approach of the Kingdom of God.

Memorial Day of the Venerable Martyr Zosimas of Cilicia

Memorial Day of St. Theoctistus of Sicelia