World Yoga Day is a fairly young holiday. It is celebrated every year on June 21st. The date was not chosen by chance. The summer solstice day is very important for the culture of various peoples. For example, Hindus associate it with the arrival of summer. People who practice yoga are sure that on this day the energy of the Earth and its inhabitants reaches its peak, and any actions performed at this time have special power. Although yoga appeared more than 6 centuries ago, for many years there was no official date dedicated to this ancient teaching. Ideas for establishing a holiday were repeatedly proposed back in the late 90s of the last century. They were initiated by a yoga organization from Portugal. However, at that time her actions did not bring the desired result. In subsequent years, yoga began to gain increasing popularity not only as a set of physical exercises, but also as a spiritual activity. And in the fall of 2014, during the next congress of UN members, representatives of India proposed a resolution on the establishment of World Yoga Day. The creators of the document said that this practice is not just a sport for health and figure, but also a technique for normalizing mental balance. The International Health Federation confirmed the importance of yoga and recalled that one of the main causes of death is a sedentary lifestyle. All participants of the congress - 175 states, together with Russia, supported the proposal to establish a new holiday date. And the head of the UN noted that the ancient teaching is capable of uniting people all over the world and instilling in them respect for each other. During the next congress in the winter of next year, the final verdict was made on introducing the holiday into the list of important world events. • Yoga excludes any sudden and active movements. All exercises are performed slowly, as calmly as possible and completely naturally, without tension or effort on yourself. • The list of the most popular modern specialties contains such qualifications as yoga master. According to statistics, over 52,700 people work as instructors in this area. • Interestingly, Muslims also practice yoga. The only thing they are not allowed to do is perform mantras. • Ancient Indians who practiced yoga believed that the number of human breaths was limited. Therefore, they believed that in order to live long, you need to breathe more slowly. • Yoga is incredibly beneficial for people's health. It helps strengthen the immune system, prevent the formation and development of a malignant tumor, and cleanse the body of toxins and waste. This is just a small part of what this ancient practice is capable of.

The ancestors of modern people existed in harmony with the world around them and respected natural cycles. The summer solstice was considered one of the most important events of the year among the inhabitants of the Northern Hemisphere. On June 21, the duration of daylight is a record 17 hours. Many peoples endowed this natural phenomenon with a magical meaning, performing various rituals and ceremonies in honor of the solstice. Thus, the Slavs celebrated Ivan Kupala on June 21, which with the advent of Christianity became the Day of John the Baptist, the Chinese celebrated Xiazhi, and the Scandinavians celebrated Lita with bonfires, songs, dances and predictions of the future. The summer solstice is an important calendar event for many ethnic groups whose beliefs are based on the solar cult. It has long determined the way of life and traditions of the Britons, Celts, Western, Southern and Eastern Slavs, Japanese, Indians, Koreans, Egyptians and other peoples of the world. The UN, wanting to emphasize the importance of preserving the memory of the ancient cult and national beliefs, established a holiday in 2019. June 21 is International Solstice Day. The summer solstice among the indigenous peoples inhabiting the countries of the Northern Hemisphere is associated with the arrival of warmth, the flourishing of nature and the triumph of life over death. The Japanese still today celebrate the ancient holiday of Higan on June 21, visiting the graves of relatives and ordering memorial services in temples. The Slavs cast spells, swam in rivers, ponds and morning dew on this day, lit fires and jumped over them, asking the elements of water and fire to help cleanse them of filth. The Celts used to tell fortunes at the solstice by rolling wheels wrapped in lit straw from the mountains. It was believed that if they did not go out all the way to the foot of the hill, the harvest would be good. The appearance of Sirius on the night sky on June 21 predicted the flooding of the Nile, which “fertilized” the agricultural areas of Egypt. The tribes of the ancient Mongols performed the Tengri ritual of the ancient Xiongnu in honor of the summer solstice. Lighting a fire, sacrificing animals to the sky, shamanic dances and prayers provided pastoralists and hunters with the help and protection of the gods. International Solstice Day promotes both the preservation of the identity of the peoples of the world and their cultural cohesion. The UN General Assembly calls on the governments of member states not to interfere with the conduct of rites and rituals on June 21, if they do not contradict generally accepted norms of law. The holiday helps to increase public awareness about the traditions of ethnic groups that have long lived in a certain territory. By establishing the International Day of the Celebration of the Solstice, the UN reminds the world of the rights of indigenous peoples, the importance of respecting the principles of the Universal Declaration of Cultural Diversity and the need for international cooperation in the social sphere.

The history of this sport began in California, in the 50s of the 20th century. This activity was enjoyed by many teenagers. However, at that time they perceived a device with wheels only as a means of transportation. Young people used skateboards to go to school, to the coast, to parks, etc.

Dog training is a way of life. United by certain reasons, the tandem dog and man live on the “same” breath, work in the same mode. They are bound by the same conditions, with two-way interaction, responsibility, and understanding. Using special training, dog handlers develop sharpened, specific skills in dogs that are mandatory for serving in the police. Detection dogs play the role of a kind of scent detector, programmed to search for a specific type of scent. For example, the smell of drugs, stolen things, the smell of a criminal. By and large, a good dog handler can raise and train a dog for any strictly defined action or search, using the two most distinctive abilities of the animal given to him by nature: an excellent sense of smell and the ability to withstand the enemy in a variety of fights. In all countries of the world, the work of dog handlers is respected, valued, and recognized as necessary. In Russia, the very first dog kennel appeared in 1906 and instantly gained popularity and success. Soon, similar services began to be organized in various cities of the country. And since 2004, every year on June 21, the Day of Cynological Units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, or abbreviated as Cynologist Day, is celebrated. However, all dog breeders consider this day their professional holiday. None other than dog handlers, with their complete understanding of dogs, connect the complex world of animals with the world of people. Dog breeders understand their pet only for one insignificant reason, understandable only to them, and vice versa, the dog understands the slightest movement of the owner who raised it. Every dog ​​breeder knows how to provide, if necessary, assistance to his pupil, both medical and, no matter how surprising it may sound, psychological. Raising a good dog is a titanic task that is not within the power or reach of everyone. On June 21, on this common holiday of man and service dog, not only people, but also detective animals receive well-deserved congratulations, awards, medals and, of course, various goodies.

Litha is a pagan Celtic holiday when the Wheel of the Year, by the mighty power of the night, turns towards winter. It is always celebrated on the longest day of the year, which, in fact, reflects the name “Lita” translated from the ancient Anglo-Saxon dialect. It is expressed in the veneration of the sun, fertility, and belief in the animation of nature. Interpretation of the holiday: the marriage of the Solar God, who gains maximum masculine power from the moment of birth in winter, and the Mother Goddess, who becomes a woman capable of filling everything around with fertility. A holiday with such power, of course, has distinctive traditions, although some of the ritualism and ritualism echo those of the antipode - the winter solstice. The ritual flame drove away the rampant evil spirits, because it was on this night that they were especially rampant. Jumping over fires arranged in a special way cleared away negative influences, ailments, strengthened talismans and smoked heavily. Other fires were set higher; pure fire burned there. But there is a ritual that cannot be performed except on a special night - to find, pick and save a fern flower on the way back. Only the bravest, luckiest, able to resist the rampant evil spirits guarding such a treasure, managed the impossible. The meaning of this action depended on the conditions and lifestyle of specific settlements. Protection from evil spirits, the opportunity to see fairies dance, to understand the language of animals - these are the simplest thoughts assigned to a mythical flower. The gift of clairvoyance, the ability to show treasures, gain additional power, open any locks, transform into another form - more advanced hopes. By the way, ferns reproduce by spores, but without belief in miracles it is difficult to live in any historical period. The connection with the main source of life, the sun, was reflected in this Celtic custom - the rim of the sun wheel was tied with straw and set on fire. By pushing it down a steep hill, they cast a spell so that the symbol would not go out while it was rolling, thereby prophesying a good harvest. Wreaths are an invariable attribute of sorcery and fortune telling, because strong magic is intertwined in them. The collected medicinal herbs are of particular value. In many rituals, representatives of the green kingdom play an important role: oak, lavender, verbena. The magic of water manifested itself in dew - they tried to collect as much of it as possible. But the tradition of bathing among European pagans was not in use, unlike the Slavic ones. Love witchcraft among some nationalities consisted of sealing a union by jointly jumping over fire. And lovers who lived on the territory of modern Scotland swore an oath of fidelity, choosing a special place of power for this. This custom has changed over the centuries, but even now for some regions June is the month of weddings. In other religions, for other non-Celtic peoples, a strong astronomical event that occurs once a year also does not go unnoticed because of its direct impact on people's lives. The ancient religion of Zoroastrianism, later supplanted by Islam, was also based on belief in the holiness of natural phenomena, the struggle of good against evil, and the great power of the Sun and fire. In the Slavic East-West pagan religion, Ivan Kupala transformed into the Nativity of the Christian Saint John the Baptist. Today, this pagan holiday is finding more and more followers, because the power of this magical night helps solve problems, and it can work, because the main thing is to believe.

Painters and sculptors paint self-portraits on canvas and sculpt them in clay. Understanding the world through the prism of studying one’s own image was common among the masters of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. With the invention of daguerreotype technology, people were tempted to capture their images on camera for their contemporaries and posterity. The first portrait photograph of himself was taken in 1839 by Robert Cornelius from Philadelphia. Today, the fashion for such images, created using a digital camera or smartphone, has literally swept the world. June 21 is Selfie Day. Taking your own photo is much easier these days than it has ever been in the history of photography. Manufacturers of mobile devices offer a huge number of smartphones with video cameras of maximum resolution. Photography lighting, various lenses and applications help the selfie fan create any effect his imagination can conjure up. A funny Selfie Day was invented in 2014 by Texas DJ God McNealy. Initially, it was celebrated only by residents of the United States. However, Internet users from around the world happily took up McNealy’s initiative. This is how National Selfie Day received international status. The traditions of the holiday are not particularly original: on June 21, users actively post their own photos online with breathtaking and amazing scenes. There are fans of creating self-portraits using modern devices among both adults and children. Initially, selfies were treated as self-indulgence, which is why it was especially popular among young people. Over time, everything changed. Today, businessmen, scientists, clergy, opera divas and even presidents of countries take self-portraits using a smartphone. Selfie fashion has swept the world and led to the emergence of psychological disorders. Scientists consider the indomitable desire to take daily self-portraits for social networks a serious disease, along with Internet addiction to virtual games and social networks. Moreover, in pursuit of an unusual photo that will get a bunch of likes and comments, people take unnecessary risks. The obsession with attracting as much attention as possible sometimes costs selfie lovers their lives. The term "selfie" has been used since 2002. It was first voiced during a broadcast by the ABC television corporation in Australia. In 2013, "selfie" was added to the digital version of the Oxford English Dictionary. The most popular photograph at arm's length was taken by Ellen DeGeneres at the 86th Oscars. A selfie of the show host with famous actors received more than 3 million retweets in one day. By the way, the American chemist R. Cornelius was the first in history to take a realistic photograph of a person, i.e. yourself. Among teenagers, the palm belongs to Princess Anastasia Romanova, daughter of Nicholas II. At the age of 13, she took a selfie for a friend using a mirror and a Kodak handheld camera. The technique of this particular company was used by the royal family, which was fond of photographic art. Despite the fact that Selfie Day is not an official holiday, it is happily celebrated by millions of fans of creating self-portraits around the world. On June 21, people take selfies in the most unusual places, photographing themselves flying on a parachute or underwater, near a cage with roaring tigers or on a roller coaster, and post them on social networks.

The giraffe, which can survive without water longer than a camel, is called the beacon of the savannah. This is the tallest animal on Earth; male growth can reach up to 5.7 m; it is also considered one of the fastest. In case of danger, the giraffe begins to run away at speeds of up to 55 km/h, overtaking a racehorse at a gallop.

In the Slavic-pagan tradition, all the forces of nature are reflected in the deities worshiped by their ancestors. Perun, born from the main deity, the great creator of the Family, turns the wheel of life, thereby reflecting the eternity of everything that exists. It is not surprising that it was on the day of the summer solstice that his birth took place. The event is depicted in a beautiful legend, when the bright hypostasis of Rod - the god Svarog, the creator of the Earth, united with Lada, and as a result of their union Perun appeared. The birth is accompanied by thunder, a thunderstorm, and the appearance of heavenly fire, which was revered by the Slavs as the source of life. What is good about Slavic legends is that they are close to real life. People in epics conveyed all the laws of life, which were the same for both ordinary people and deities. Newborn Perun slept soundly only when the sky was rocked by thunder. Perun, according to legend, inherited from his father the blacksmith's craft, mastery of all types of weapons common at that time. The superhuman strength and natural power that Perun demonstrates by sending lightning to the earth quite logically made him not only the patron of the elements. The difficult life of the Slavs, suffering from endless wars for a place in the sun, the fight against invaders and foreigners, forced them to ask for protection and support from such a strong god. Its significance in the pantheon (the totality of all Slavic deities) gradually becomes dominant, bringing it to the forefront among other deities. He became the patron of warriors, thereby demonstrating another law of life: whoever has strength has power. The ancestors asked him for protection from the invasion of enemies, help in protecting their native land and at the same time favorable weather conditions. All this is reflected in the rituals and traditions of this holiday. This happened at special temples, where oak trees necessarily grew. These trees have always been filled with sacred meaning. An oak tree struck by lightning was considered to be marked by the god, and the weapons resulting from it were endowed with special powers. Bulls and roosters were often sacrificed. The distinctive features of Perun's appearance reflected his qualities, while at the same time inspiring honor and respect. He had gray hair (thundercloud), a golden mustache and beard (lightning). His formidable attribute in the form of a chariot, on which he moved across the sky, frightened mortals. Thunder arrows are silicon fragments that people found in the ground; ancient people endowed them with powerful properties and considered them real artifacts. After the adoption of Christianity, many of the qualities of pagan deities were transferred to the new saints. Perun transformed into Elijah the Prophet. Many religions, so different at first glance, have a lot in common: the Scandinavian Thor is an analogue of Perun. Even for modern man, the elements often turn out to be beyond his control. The power of lightning, its action, and sometimes absolutely mystical manifestations of this natural phenomenon give an understanding that it was not in vain that the ancestors asked for mercy from their powerful gods, especially such a formidable but bright deity as Perun. And such an interesting fact as the summer solstice is a reason to celebrate this day by adding it to the collection of holidays.

International holidays - Summer Solstice

Holidays of Russia - Yakut New Year “Ysyakh”

International holidays - World Hydrography Day

International holidays - World Humanist Day

Canadian Holidays - National Aboriginal Day

Funny holidays - International Flower Day

French Holidays - Music Day (Fete de la Musique)

According to the folk calendar, Fyodor Kolodeznik is celebrated on June 21 (June 8 according to the old style). The holiday is named after Saint Theodore Stratilates, a Christian martyr, whose memory the church honors on this day. Theodore lived in the 3rd-4th centuries on the territory of modern Turkey, and was from Euchait. Once he managed to kill a large serpent devouring the inhabitants, after which Theodore was appointed military leader. Having settled in Heraclea, he converted almost all the townspeople to Christianity. When the ruler brought statues of pagan gods made of precious metals to the city, Theodore crushed them and distributed them to the poor. For this he was beaten and tortured, and then hacked to death with a sword. The people called Fyodor the Well Man, since on this date the place for digging wells was determined. To do this, the night before, frying pans were placed in several places on the ground, and they were checked in the morning. If one of the frying pans became covered with abundant moisture, then the place under it was ideal for digging a well shaft. They also looked for a place using chicken eggs: they were laid out around the area, and then they observed which one was the wettest. Finding the right place was important, otherwise the water might be undrinkable. Having determined where to dig a hole, the residents prayed in the church for the success of the business, then began digging. Oak, aspen, alder or elm were used to strengthen the well shaft. After construction, the above-water part was covered with a lid so that debris would not get inside, and the brownie would not be afraid if he suddenly looked into the well. Among the people there were various prohibitions regarding the well. They believed that you should not spit the husks of sunflower seeds on the ground near it, otherwise the residents would treat it with disdain. Women were forbidden to sit on the edge of the well, as the dough might not rise. It was forbidden to look into a well pit at night, believing that a witch might look out from there and kiss the person looking in. Fedorov's Day was also called Dung Day for the tradition of fertilizing unsown fields with manure. This was done to supply the soil with useful microelements. Usually they used manure that had rotted during the year, it was taken out to the fields and spread thickly, and the next year the land was plowed and sown. Residents did not consider working with manure humiliating, because it was beneficial for the future harvest. Families went out to fertilize the land: women and children loaded wheelbarrows with manure, and the men carried them to the field and dumped them out. In the evening on this date, a table consisting of 12 dishes was set, so that there was something to eat every month of the year. If an abundance of dew was noticed on Fyodor Kolodeznik, they prepared for large harvests of flax and hemp. If you saw clouds thickening and turning blue in the evening, you were expecting a night thunderstorm. The sound of thunder in the distance foreshadowed bad weather.

Orthodox holidays June 21:

Feast of the Uryupinsk Icon of the Mother of God

Feast of the Yaroslavl Icon of the Mother of God

Memorial Day of St. Theodore, Bishop of Rostov and Suzdal