Every year on June 16, the whole world celebrates African Children's Day. The holiday was founded in 1991, when it was first celebrated. The origins of the event were a demonstration by black children in 1976 in the South African settlement of Soweto. The children opposed the educational standards established at that time, trying to defend their native language. The action resulted in numerous casualties as a result of merciless police fire. More than 1,500 thousand people were killed and about 6 thousand innocent children were injured. The brutal reprisal against the rioters lasted until February 1977. The uprising laid the foundation for the war of blacks against the hated government regime. The bloody events of those times forced the whole world to pay attention to the childhood problems of African children. Among the problematic issues of South African youth are hunger, high mortality, sexually transmitted diseases (AIDS), illiteracy, and homelessness. Since 2011, the African Union, together with international public organizations, began to strictly monitor the situation of black children. Close attention is paid to vulnerable segments of the population of the African continent. As preventive measures, various events are held for children, gifts are given, films and educational programs are shown. This small amount of attention allows you to feel the protection and care of adults that African children are deprived of. On African Children's Day, international communities call on the public to participate in the lives of the world's children. To this end, discussions are held to address important issues that can improve the lives of African youth. The African Children's Day carries a sad note. Endless humiliation, deprivation of the opportunity to live in human conditions and with common rights does not allow us to rejoice for African children. The desire to change living conditions and the incorrect way of their usual existence worries the world community.

The moral of the parable about the old man and three sons, whom the father asked to break a broom and individual twigs, is the importance of the strength of family ties. Brothers and sisters should be friends, enjoy each other's successes and support each other in difficult moments of life. For a long time, the older children in the family were responsible for the younger ones, who needed guardianship and care. From the outside, they look like darlings of fate, who receive more parental attention and love. A holiday has been established in honor of these lucky ones. Little Brothers Day is celebrated annually on June 16th. The celebration has its roots in the mythology of Ancient India. In the Hindu pantheon, the goddess Yamuna is considered the patroness of younger brothers. Her name also sounds like Jamna - the name of the right tributary of the Ganges. According to folk tales, the goddess, in addition to the elder Yamaraja, the lord of death and karma, had younger brothers: Manu, Shani, twins Nasatyu and Dasri, called Ashwins. Yamuna loved them very much. One day, the goddess asked her elder brother for a blessing so that all brothers and sisters who bathe in her rivers on a certain day would be freed from falling into the arms of death. Yamaraja, whose role was to send souls to the next world, granted his sister’s wish. Therefore, according to tradition, after swimming in the Yamuna, brothers and sisters go ashore and tie red threads on each other’s wrists. Bathing in the tributary of the sacred Ganges River gives them spiritual enlightenment, cleansing the body and soul. On this day, older brothers and sisters pray for the lives of their younger ones, praise them, and give them gifts - coconuts, sweets, etc. Over time, the custom spread beyond India. Today Little Brother Day is an international holiday. In India, on the full moon of the month of Shravan, which usually falls on the last day of Diwali, another family celebration is celebrated, Cancer Bandhan - the Festival of Siblings. On this day, girls and women perform puja to protect their male blood relatives from troubles. On June 16, in honor of the holiday, older sisters and brothers give gifts, give instructions and praise the younger ones in order to increase their self-esteem and strengthen relationships within the family. On this day, parents and children attend entertainment events, spend time together, participating in active games in the fresh air. The holiday gives positive emotions and indescribable pleasure from communicating with loved ones, promotes the development of mutual understanding and respect for each other among boys and girls of different ages. With proper upbringing in the family, children become the closest people to each other for the rest of their lives. The holiday maintains in the hearts of the younger ones the fire of love for their older sisters and brothers, who in the future, as they grow older, become a reliable support and true friends, always ready to lend a helping hand.

"Shall we figure it out for three?" - those wishing to drink asked those passing by a wine and vodka store in Soviet times. If there were like-minded people, a bottle of spirits of 500 or 750 ml was bought together. Experienced drinkers, based on the number of gurgles, 7 per glass, could pour half a liter of vodka for three people in one go. The number of spontaneously appearing friends in misfortune was explained by the high price of the “little white one”. The tradition of thinking for three is more than 60 years old. After the monetary reform of 1961, 500 ml of strong drink cost 2 rubles. 72 kopecks Therefore, those who did not have the required amount looked for comrades with the help of a raised hand with a ruble and the catchphrase that became “Will you be the third?” Like-minded people chipped in a ruble, bought vodka, and took processed cheese or other snacks as change. A 250 ml bottle was purchased when there was no need or money to buy strong alcohol in larger quantities. In everyday life, this type of glass container for vodka was called a chekushka, before the 1917 revolution it was called a swindler. During Khrushchev's time, there was a ban on the sale of vodka in canteens and snack bars. The checks disappeared from store shelves, but this did not erase them from people’s memory. A holiday has been established in honor of the 1/4 liter bottle of vodka. Every year on June 16 in Russia and some countries of the former USSR a funny Check Day is celebrated. In Rus', strong drinks were measured in buckets, ladles, shtofas ​​and octopuses. The smallest container for dispensing alcohol, the scale, held 61.5 ml. The ancient Russian unit of liquid measurement before the introduction of the metric system was called chetushka and was equal to 249 milliliters. It consisted of a pair of glasses - vessels with a spherical stem, from which they drank alcoholic beverages. 249 ml was equal to 1/50 of a 12.3 liter bucket. During the Soviet Union, the name of the volume was transformed into “chekushka” - a quarter of a liter of vodka, or less often - wine. Glass containers of 100 and 50 ml, as a rule, were found in gift sets. This volume of vodka was not sold in stores during the Soviet period. And the checks were in use. It was this volume of vodka that Venechka, the intellectual and alcoholic from V. Erofeev’s poem “Moscow-Petushki”, took with him on the road. The history of the origin of the unusual holiday celebrated on June 16 is unknown. In honor of Checkushka Day, it is customary to gather in the company of friends at a set table, the hostess of which is a small bottle of traditional strong drink. The celebration invites memories of the Soviet past, heart-to-heart conversations with friends and acquaintances over a glass of vodka. According to established tradition, the national drink is eaten with sauerkraut, potatoes, pickles, herring, dumplings and other meat dishes.

The recreation of scouts and representatives of other youth movements takes place in camps. In these educational and health organizations, children spend their holidays with pleasure, participating in various activities. In the USSR, most factories, educational and sports institutions had their own pioneer camps. Artek was in first place in the ranking of the most popular vacation spots for schoolchildren. The pioneer camp first opened its doors on June 16, 1925. In this shift there were 80 schoolchildren from Moscow, Ivanovo-Voznesensk and the cities of Crimea. For almost 100 years since its opening, millions of Soviet children and children from abroad have rested in the Crimean health resort. The sounds of the bugle, the initiation into Artek members, the “Zarnitsa” and the farewell bonfire, the coal from which, according to tradition, was taken home, remained forever in their hearts. The health resort did not stop its work during the Great Patriotic War; it continued to accept children after the collapse of the USSR and the cessation of the All-Union Pioneer Organization in 1991. In honor of the founding of the international camp, Artek’s birthday is solemnly celebrated on June 16. The calling card of the Soviet pioneers, located on the southern coast of Crimea at the foot of Mount Ayu-Dag, worked all year round. In the summer, the camp was mainly attended by the children of executive committee employees, enterprise directors, heads of local CPSU organizations and other representatives of the nomenklatura. This trend was very clearly visible by 1940. In the fall and winter, ordinary children who studied well at school, were winners of Olympiads, competitions in collecting scrap metal or cotton could get into Artek. There was a quota for holidays in the camp for orphans. Every schoolchild from the USSR dreamed of going to Artek, where peers from friendly countries of the socialist camp also came - Czechoslovakia, Poland, Romania, Mongolia and some African countries. Already in the second year after its opening, the camp accepted children of German communists, and in 1937 - children from Spain. Artek was also visited by such celebrities as Samantha Smith, a girl who, in her letter in 1982 to Yu. Andropov, the head of the USSR, expressed concern about the possibility of a nuclear war between the Soviet Union and the United States. The pride of the camp was its friendship with Yuri Gagarin. He came to Artek every day from a nearby sanatorium, where he was resting on a voucher. In addition to Gagarin, the camp was visited by N.S. Khrushchev and L.I. Brezhnev, state leaders and famous politicians: Indira Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Ho Chi Minh, Otto Schmidt. Today, Artek still opens its doors wide to children from Russia and other countries of the world who are winners of international competitions held by the Russian Federation. The camp hosts many large-scale events and festivals throughout the year: “Scarlet Sails”, children’s “New Wave”, etc. But the most important and dearest holiday to young hearts for decades remains the Birthday of “Artek”.

Russian Holidays - Birthday of the Exhibition of Achievements of the National Economy (VDNKh)

UN Holidays - International Day of Family Remittances

International Holidays - Stop Cyberbullying Day

The Czech Republic is rich in unusual holidays, but one of them, despite its young age, is considered one of the most beloved not only among local residents, but also among guests. “Five Petal Rose Day” began to be celebrated only in the mid-80s of the last century in the southern part of the country. It is an amazing, colorful, noisy carnival that takes all participants and spectators to the Middle Ages. The holiday takes place in the town of Cesky Krumlov, which is rich in medieval castles located in a historical place - the Rožmberkov estate. In addition to the castle, on the territory you can visit a carnival hall, an amazing park and garden and enjoy lush vegetation. Theatrical performances are held within the walls of the Bellary Summer Palace. It is in this place that the International Music Festival is held, which brings together groups from all over the world, as well as the “Five Petal Rose Festival”. This day was celebrated back in the Middle Ages, but then the holiday was forgotten. It was revived in 1986 and began to take place annually in June. Throughout the celebration, guests plunge into an atmosphere of romance. This day is dedicated to the reign of the last owners of the Rozhmbek family, who lived in the castle. Why is the holiday named after a rose? It is the rose that is depicted on the coat of arms of the ancient family. The only condition that allows you to become a participant in the holiday is to try on a medieval costume and become part of the vibrant action. All residents of the city and numerous visitors try on luxurious outfits. Women dress in lush dresses, men turn into knights in iron armor. All participants seem to live in a medieval city: they go about their business, trade, walk and celebrate weddings. The opening begins in the main square and then continues with a colorful procession with flags, torches and musical instruments. In the very center there is a fair where you can buy everything from bread to jewelry and knightly armor. Everyone can take part in living sculptures, watch knightly tournaments, and see demonstration shooting of musketeers. The culmination of the holiday is historical fencing, which involves two-handed balls that weigh more than 4 kilograms. Fights take place without rules, so there is a danger of injury. To become a participant you must have good physical strength. The holiday ends with fireworks and a staged fire show. During the festival, you can visit the medieval market, where you can buy souvenirs, delicious food and drinks.

The bards' performance of their own works, despite the simplicity of the melodies and lyrics, touched the Soviet people to the depths of their souls. The author's song, one of the ways of self-expression of creative people who disagree with the realities of socialist society, was heard within the walls of universities and universities, at apartment buildings, in construction brigades and at rallies in shawl camps. Gatherings to the tunes of a guitar around a fire near Tolyatti on the Mastryukov Lakes, in the Chelyabinsk region near Lake Ilmen, near the village of Znamenskoye and on the banks of the Volga in the Samarskaya Luka park were traditional tourist events. Since 1968, for decades, bards from all regions of Russia and fans of art songs have been coming to the Grushinsky Festival. The second largest gathering, in which up to 45,000 people take part, is Ilmensky. At various times, his guests were Yuri Vizbor, Leonid Margolin, Oleg Mityaev, Alexander Gorodnitsky, Sergei Trofimov and other performers. The Ilmensky Art Song Festival is held annually on the second weekend of June. Its rich program includes performing competitions for children and adults, a “Guitar in a Circle” flash mob, sports competitions, master classes and other events. The Ilmens took place for the first time in May 1973 in the vicinity of Miass. The regional competition of tourist song performers brought together more than 600 participants from 7 cities of the Soviet Union. The festival program in the 70s included competitions “Tourists Singing” and art song competitions among adult performers. The plan for the largest gathering of bards has not changed for decades. The luminaries of the genre took part in the tourist and “amateur” song competition - Alexander Dulov, Boris Vakhnyuk, Anatoly Khmel, Yuri Garin, Elena Shchibrikova, Alexey Ivashchenko, Georgy Vasiliev and other performers. In 1978, Oleg Mityaev performed at the rally for the first time and became a laureate with the song “It’s great that we are all gathered here today.” Today this musical composition is considered the unofficial anthem of the bardic movement. Since 2000, O. Mityaev’s charitable foundation has been organizing and holding a song competition in the Chelyabinsk region, which is his small homeland. The Ilmen Festival, a stronghold of free thought and self-expression among art song performers, was banned from 1983 to 1985. The Soviet government decided that the performances of bards at the rally had a negative impact on the minds of the younger generation and ran counter to communist ideals. However, in 1986, on the shore of the lake in the area of ​​​​the Ilmen tourist center, fires lit up again, tents appeared and guitars began to sound. The tradition of performing bard songs in informal settings did not stop even after the collapse of the USSR. Event tourism, trips in which are timed to coincide with a specific event, does not lose its popularity today. Therefore, every year, during 3 days of the first summer month, tens of thousands of people attend the Ilmen Art Song Festival.

Catholic holidays - Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (Sollemnitas Sacratissimi Cordis Iesu)

Irish Holidays - Bloomsday

Lukyan Windmill is celebrated according to the folk calendar on June 16 (June 3, old style). Lucian named the day from the church date of honoring Saints Lucian of Belgium and Lucillian of Byzantium, Christian preachers of the 1st century. Lucian of Belgium lived in Rome and was an idolater. When he met the Apostle Peter, he believed in the Lord, accepted Christianity and was baptized. Then Lucian went to spread the faith throughout Italy and received the rank of bishop. While preaching in the cities of Belgium, the bishop was captured by pagans, tortured and executed. Lucillian of Byzantium spent most of his life as a servant of a pagan temple, but by his advanced age he believed in Christ. With his sermons he converted thousands of idolaters to the Christian faith. When the pagans captured the elder, they gave him over to torture: they beat him and put him on a hot stove. Seeing Lucillian’s inflexibility in his faith, he was nailed by his hands and feet on the cross, where he gave his soul to the Almighty. Lukyan was popularly nicknamed the Windmill, since on a given day the residents determined the future based on the strong wind. He was usually observed in the direction of the weather vane on the roof. The wind from the south foreshadowed a generous harvest of grain crops, from the east - diseases in the fields, from the northeast and northwest - cloudiness and frequent rains. The wind raising dust from the ground was observed on sunny days. On this day, the residents prayed to Lukyan to take care of the ripening field and send southern winds and sufficient moisture, and when it was time to mow hay, arrange dry days. Also in the morning, an offering was made to Lukyan in the form of a jug of kvass. They believed that if the drink fermented in the evening, then the saint was satisfied with the gift and would help with the weather. At Lukyana Windmill, peasants were looking for a suitable place for a well. To do this, a cast-iron frying pan was placed in the desired place for a day, with its back side facing the sky. After 24 hours, they checked its inner surface; if it was covered with moisture, then the place was ideal for digging a well. If it started to rain on Lukyanov’s day, then hay mowing was predicted to be unsuccessful. However, seeing the precipitation, residents were preparing for an abundance of mushrooms in the forest. Morning fog on the pond was considered a harbinger of sunny days. The cry of owls was heard during inclement weather.

Orthodox holidays June 16:

Memorial Day of the Hieromartyr Lucian of Belgium

Feast of the Icon of the Mother of God “Hodegetria” Yugskaya

Transfer of the holy relics of the blessed Tsarevich Dimitri from Uglich to Moscow

Memorial Day of St. Varlaam of Khutyn (2023)