Every year since 2001, the International Day for Biological Diversity is celebrated on the 22nd May. The holiday was adopted based on a decision of the UN General Assembly back in 1995 after the adoption of the Convention on Biological Diversity. The original date of the gala event was planned for December 29. However, for a number of reasons, UN countries could not celebrate at this time of year, so the date of the holiday was moved to a more convenient one. The theme of the international holiday changes annually, but is always dedicated to the animal and plant world. The purpose of the event is to encourage the population of planet Earth to preserve flora and fauna. People take advantage of the riches of nature and, without noticing the harmful effects, destroy it. It is the conservation of global biological diversity that lies in the interpretation of the famous UN Convention, to which 196 countries are parties. Active human activity is the first reason for the decline in the number of animals, mammals, and birds. Due to the irrational use of natural resources, the ecological balance is disrupted, which subsequently leads to an irreparable environmental disaster. In addition, environmental pollution, excessive desertification, population growth, and global climate change play a deadly role in the loss of biological diversity and ecological balance. On Biological Diversity Day every year, the UN Secretary General addresses the public with a message. He emphasizes that natural diversity is the basis of human existence and development. Calls for prudent use of subsoil and natural resources. The Russian Federation plays a major role in the conservation of biological diversity. The territory of Russia has enormous natural potential. More than 80% of the flora and fauna prevail in our country. The biosphere of the whole world is concentrated on the ecosystems of Russia. The huge reserve of Lake Baikal alone is capable of providing fresh water to more than one UN state. More than 11 thousand nature protection zones, reserves, and national parks have been created in Russia. It is planned to create new protected areas every year. Thus, on May 25, 2018, the Nurgush Nature Reserve, created in the Kirov region on the International Day of Biodiversity, invites those wishing to celebrate their birthday and the holiday of the same name. Due to the annual loss of natural resources, the death of animals and the constant threat of extinction of flora and fauna, Biodiversity Day does not include entertainment events. In fact, this holiday bears the stamp of sadness. Climate change on the planet is growing at an incredible speed, a changing landscape, ozone holes, mammals escaping onto land, drying up seas - all this does not give reason for joy. It is important for humanity to remember that nature is depleted, loses its strength to recover and is in dire need of care and protection. Conservation activities alone are not enough to preserve ecosystems. What is important here is a set of activities and measures approved at the state level in the countries of the world community. Political beliefs in the field of biodiversity conservation must be based on reliable data and information. Only with a clear understanding of the specific situation can you take the necessary measures and actions. As an option, you can show documentaries about the impending environmental disaster due to the irrational use of natural resources. Responsibility for the preservation of natural ecosystems should also include strict punishment for violating generally accepted rules.

Spring Makoshye, or Zeminnik, is an ancient pagan holiday of the Slavs. It falls on the 9th (22nd) of May. According to Slavic beliefs, on this day the Earth awakens from winter sleep and rests before hard work. Therefore, you cannot overwork it: harrow, sow, dig. For the Earth to succeed, you need to please it: give it boiled eggs and decorate it with festive towels. Celebrating the name day of the Earth, people praised Makosh, who helped Rod create the Motherland. Mother Earth, being in the arms of Father Sky, protects the Motherland and protects it. On this day, the wise men went to the field and laid their heads on the damp earth: they listened carefully to the whisper of the roots, which predicted the quality of the future harvest. Then, on the ritual furrow, rituals were performed for good weather. Handfuls of holiday soil, being amulets, were kept by the Slavs all year long. The boys and men swore before their native land that they would always stand up for its defense. Young girls wove wreaths, calling out to spring. Adult women, led by a sorcerer, prepared porridge from melted snow water and treated themselves to salting it, then offered it to Mother Earth. The youth lit a fire, sat around it, listening to the stories of the sages and wise men about the old days. Conversations were interrupted by meals and games. A woman who was unfairly slandered was allowed to whitewash herself on this Holy Day. She wove a large wreath and stood in its center, inviting those who spoke blasphemy to join her. According to legends, anyone who denigrated a woman was immediately punished by Mother Earth. From Veshny Makoshye horses are driven out to pasture. On this day the blind can speak secret words and be healed. Girls can ask the Earth for beauty and female happiness. To gain strength and energy, you need to walk barefoot, mentally glorifying Mother Earth, or you can lie down in a field and listen to the voice of nature.

A salad of boiled vegetables, along with “Olivier”, “Fish under a fur coat” and “Mimosa” reigned on the table of Soviet citizens for decades. Historians believe that vinaigrette appeared in Russia at the end of the 18th - beginning of the 19th centuries. The demand for salad is explained by the availability and low cost of its ingredients: potatoes, beets, carrots, pickled cabbage, cucumbers, onions and beans. Such an impressive composition was the reason for the ironic use of the word “vinaigrette” in relation to the mixing of dissimilar objects and concepts. Salad recipes vary depending on the wishes of the housewife: some replace beans with peas, others add herring and pickled mushrooms. The dish is a hallmark of Russian cuisine, which is why May 22 is celebrated as Vinaigrette Day. Researchers, speaking about the etymology of the word, refer to vinaigrette - the name of a salad dressing that consists of vinegar (in French - vinaigre), vegetable oil and spices. One of the legends says that the appetizer was invented by the French chef Marie-Antoine Carême, who worked in Russia. The recognized master of culinary art carefully studied national dishes. And although Karem stayed in Russia during the reign of Alexander I for only 6 months, he managed to come up with a new dish made from vegetables with vinegar dressing. An analogue of vinaigrette can be found among the recipes of an old English cookbook published in 1845. There the dish is called “Swedish salad with herring”. It consisted of beets, potatoes, fish, pickled eggs, egg whites and grated apple. According to cookbooks from the mid-19th century. The vinaigrette should be prepared with the addition of chopped meat and eggs. According to one legend, Catherine the Great did not like the cold appetizer. She tried the new salad and dissatisfiedly pushed the plate away with the comment: “Ugh! Not warm!” The dish was indeed served cold, which the empress did not like. And the phrase “finegret” went among the people, transforming into “vinaigrette”. Today, baked meat and fish have disappeared from the traditional salad recipe, making it a completely vegetable dish. Chefs and food enthusiasts add piquancy and unusual taste to the cold appetizer by adding apples, canned corn, mussels and squid. It is difficult for a Russian person to imagine a holiday table without a traditional salad. “An hour later, dinner was served, consisting of vinaigrette, cold veal, pate, pastry pies and champagne,” wrote N.V. Gogol in “The Overcoat,” published in 1841. Times and morals change, but national taste preferences remain unchanged. That is why Vinaigrette Day is celebrated annually on May 22.

Oral hygiene is a necessary condition for dental health. To clean them from food debris, primitive people in the 5th-3rd centuries BC. chewed beeswax and resin. Tooth powder made from ground myrrh, frankincense, mastic tree and raisins began to be used in Ancient Egypt. Depending on the country and region, talc, pumice, crushed oyster shells, cattle horns and hooves, charcoal, and other abrasive ingredients could be added to it. The Egyptians stored the bulk mixture in jars, using a miswak as a brush - a thin tree branch chewed at one end. In the 15th century In China, they began to use a brush for brushing teeth - a stick with bristles from a boar or other animal. Until the 19th century. the powder was packaged in paper bags. Its crumbly consistency made it difficult to brush your teeth. The first paste containing chalk and soap appeared in the 1800s. It was kept in glass, and later in tin and plastic jars. The idea of ​​​​creating a tube for toothpaste belongs to dentist Washington Sheffield from the USA. It was he who, in 1892, decided to use tin paint tubes for its storage. On May 22, in honor of this event, the birthday of the toothpaste tube is celebrated. Sheffield did not patent his invention, but William Colgate of New York did. In 1893, an enterprising pharmacist became the owner of the rights to a tube of paste. In the beginning, tin was used to produce containers, later aluminum and plastic were used. Colgate organized the production of toothpaste in a tube using his own technology, and his name eventually became a global brand. Today, millions of people associate Colgate with dental health and oral hygiene products. A medium-sized tube holds 75 ml of paste. Its form, unlike its contents, has remained unchanged for more than 125 years since its invention. One end of the tube is folded or sealed many times, the other has a hole with a cap. The paste is used by 3/4 of the world's population. Almost 90% of this dentifrice is packaged in tubes. Their popularity is explained by the tightness of the storage container and ease of use in everyday life. According to statistics, each person uses an average of 8-10 tubes per year. It is no coincidence that this funny holiday is celebrated on May 22 all over the world. According to polls by sociologists, toothpaste and brushes in many countries are considered one of the most important inventions of mankind. This is difficult to dispute: the condition of the gastrointestinal tract depends on oral hygiene. Perhaps our descendants will add electric brushes, irrigators and other devices to the list of important inventions in the future. In the meantime, every year around the world, the birth of the toothbrush is celebrated on June 26, and a month before, on May 22, the birthday of the toothpaste tube is celebrated.

Tretyakov not only had a sense of beauty and good artistic taste, but was also a true patriot of the Motherland. On May 22, 1856, a textile manufacturer and aspiring philanthropist purchased the paintings “Temptation” by Nikolai Schilder and “Skirmish with Finnish Smugglers” by Vasily Khudyakov. They laid the foundation for the future collection.

Funny holidays - Birthday of Ethernet technology

Subculture that emerged in the twentieth century. on the wave of post-punk, very diverse and heterogeneous. The ranks of the Goths consist of young people who have a genuine interest in mysticism and esotericism, who prefer gothic metal music, literature and horror films. A holiday has been established in honor of those who hold romantic-depressive views on life and cultivate misanthropy. Every year on May 22, World Goth Day is celebrated. The holiday appeared in 2009 thanks to the English DJ Cruel Britannia. A BBC Radio employee dedicated one of the afternoon broadcasts in May to gothic music - works written in the Middle Ages, as well as in the genres of post-punk, heavy metal, rock and modern electronic music. The Goth subculture (from the English gothic - rough, barbaric) originated in Great Britain in the 1970s and quickly spread to other countries of the world. The ranks of the movement consist of both teenagers and people 45 years of age and older, professing the aesthetics of death, who are distinguished by a craving for a gloomy and depressive perception of reality, decadence and mysticism. Goths in dark clothes, with mohawks on their heads, black lips and eyes on a pale face shock others with their appearance. Society is not tolerant of unusual-looking young people with unusual behavior who believe in the supernatural and promote the cult of death. The Goth movement, like the holiday, appeared as a form of protest, an act of disagreement with the dominance of pop culture with its lightness, diversity and sugary songs about love and the joys of life. World Goth Day owes its hosting not only to the BBC Radio DJ. The Festival of Gothic Music and Art, which has been held in Leipzig for 4 May days since 1992, contributed to its emergence. At first, representatives of the subculture were called Dark Punks. With their mohawks, passion for black clothes, silver jewelry and dark makeup, the goths were very reminiscent of punk rock performers. Therefore, at the concert venues of the festival both Lacrimosa by Mozart and music in the style of gothic metal from “HIM”, “Arcana”, “Hellirius”, “Sophia” and other groups are heard. World Goth Day was established in order to relieve tension, misunderstandings and antagonism that arises between others and goths. In addition to festivals, fairs in the spirit of the Middle Ages, theatrical performances, parties in pubs and bars, and other themed events are organized in honor of the holiday. In the cities of Russia on May 22, Victorian picnics are held, which are attended by gloomy-looking young people in black clothes - representatives of the Goth subculture.

St. Nicholas of the spring is celebrated according to the folk calendar on May 22 (May 9, old style). The name of the holiday is given from the church date of honoring and transferring the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, the patron saint of all travelers, children and traders. Nicholas lived in the 3rd and 4th centuries, from childhood he sought to serve the Lord, studied the Holy Scriptures and prayed a lot. Having become a priest, he helped everyone in need, gave away everything he had and did not demand gratitude. After accepting the rank of Archbishop, he did not stop working for the good of society. With prayer, Nicholas could stop an approaching storm or heal a seriously ill person. People called Nikola Veshny, which meant “spring”. This is how the day was named in contrast to St. Nicholas the Winter (December 19). By this day, life became easier for the peasants, as the long-awaited warmth arrived and the grass grew. They were consumed by goats and cows, which increased milk yield. Having milk, the residents ate a richer diet: they cooked milk porridge, made cottage cheese, sour cream, and butter. From the day of St. Nicholas, people began to prepare fields intended for haymaking. To do this, stakes or sticks were driven into the ground around the area. Shepherds saw fenced areas and took their cattle to graze in open meadows. Saint Nicholas was called the patron saint of horses, therefore they prayed to him for their protection from wild animals, evil spirits, various diseases, and asked Nikola to give them strength and healthy offspring. In the temple, the owners ordered a prayer service to illuminate the water, and then sprinkled it on their horse. On this day, the horse had to be harnessed and ridden, so that the devils would not be the first to sit on it and drive it to death. All the horses of the village were taken out to the meadows all night so that they could graze to their heart's content. Single young men were sent to look after the horses. They came together for nightly gatherings, took porridge with them, and made a fire. After sunset, girls dressed in new clothes approached them. The youth danced around the fire, sang and had fun until the morning. Also, the day of Nikola Veshny was considered the date of initiation of boys into men. In general, residents spent the day working in the fields. Conspiracies for high yields were read over cultivated and sown lands. In the morning of this day, they washed their face and hands with dew to increase their health, and turned to Nicholas, asking for well-being for themselves and their family. If there was a thunderstorm after St. Nicholas Day, then they prepared for a rainy summer season. Frog croaking has been observed to indicate generous oat yields. The alder blossoms signaled a successful time for buckwheat sowing. On this day they judged what Nikola the Winter would be like.

Orthodox holidays on May 22:

On May 22, the church holiday of the Transfer of the Relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker is celebrated. The saint, who lived in the 3rd century in the Roman province of Lycia, is equally revered by both the Eastern and Western Christian churches. Nicholas from the city of Mira performed many miracles during his lifetime, but even after his death the saint did not leave believers without mercy. Pilgrims came with prayers to his miraculous relics, knowing that the holy Archbishop of Myra of Lycia would answer their requests. Saint Nicholas ended his earthly journey in the 4th century and was buried on the territory of the city of Mira. A basilica was erected over the saint's grave, which was replaced at the beginning of the 4th century by a stone church, which kept the relics of the wonderworker until 1084. After the Muslim invasion of the Middle East, many Christian shrines were in danger of destruction. In the 8th century, the mercenaries of Caliph Harun-ar Rashid tried to break into and destroy the tomb of St. Nicholas. At the direction of the Lord, another burial was opened, and a storm that arose at sea destroyed the ships of the wicked robbers. The decrepit Byzantine Empire, suffering oppression from the Seljuk Turks, did not have the opportunity to protect the holy places for Christians from destruction. A similar situation prompted the idea of ​​believers from the Italian city of Bari to take possession of the relics of Nicholas under the guise of saving them from the Turkish threat. On April 20, 1087, about fifty armed natives of Bari landed on the coast of the city of Myra. Their path led to the Church of St. Nicholas, which was guarded by only four peaceful monks. The church servants showed the arrivals the location of the tomb and told the dream of one elder, in which the wonderworker Nicholas himself asked to protect his relics more carefully. Residents of the city of Bari saw in this phenomenon a sign for action, and offered to redeem the relic for gold. The monks, realizing the true purpose of the arrivals, tried to run out of the church and call the townspeople for help, but the Barians grabbed and tied them up. Next, the myrrh-wearing remains of the saint were removed from the sarcophagus and transferred to the ship. On May 22, the relic arrived in the port of Bari, where it was greeted with triumph and reverence by representatives of the Church and townspeople. Subsequently, a basilica was built over the remains of St. Nicholas, which became a place of worship for numerous pilgrims. A holiday was established in the city in honor of the discovery of the relics of the saint, despite the fact that the Greek and Western churches for a long time ignored the date of May 22 with their attention. For the Orthodox tradition, the triumph of the transfer of the relics of the Archbishop of Myra in Lycia was perceived at the end of the 11th century in view of the special veneration of St. Nicholas in Rus' and Bulgaria.

Feast of the Perekop Icon of the Mother of God

Day of the Holy Prophet Isaiah

Memorial Day of the Holy Martyr Christopher of Lycia

Memorial Day of St. Joseph of Optina