Turtle Day on May 23rd is both a serious and fun holiday. On the one hand, these slow and clumsy creatures are gradually dying out and need special protection. On the other hand, many people take May 23 as a reason to smile and give each other postcards and souvenirs with images of this clumsy animal. The holiday dates back to 2010. Today it is celebrated in many countries around the world. People began to think about the problems of preserving the population of these reptiles back in 1990. Concerned people united in the American Turtle Rescue Society. The population of the country, brought up on Disney cartoons, where turtles live for about 300 years, did not appreciate the seriousness of the problem. After all, during such a period you can bear a lot of offspring. In reality, these wise reptiles do not live to an old age. Turtles are destroyed by poachers and other animals. Their egg clutches are being destroyed on a global scale. Delicious, tender reptile meat goes to the table of gourmets. The average age would be more correct: 30 – 100 years. At home, turtles live no more than 10. Now this species is on the verge of complete extinction. With the advent of Turtle Day, many people began to pay more attention to this type of reptile. Influential patrons make large donations to maintain the reptile population. Collections are held in many cities, where everyone can contribute. It will be interesting to celebrate such an unusual holiday with children. You can visit the zoo, have a costume party, or treat yourself to a turtle-shaped salad. There are only a few species of reptiles left in Russia. To maintain their population, it is necessary to abandon the purchase of shell products and the idea of ​​​​trying turtle soup. At the state level, it is worth protecting the beaches where turtles come to lay their eggs from ruthless smuggling.

Martial arts have been part of sports competitions since ancient times. Greco-Roman wrestling was one of the types of athletic competitions at the Olympic Games. Fist fights were held in the Sumerian kingdom, India, and Egypt in the 3rd millennium BC. and in Rus'. Today the list of competitions includes freestyle, sambo, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, judo, sumo, aikido, kuresh and other national sports. On May 23, 1904, the first world championship in Greco-Roman wrestling was held in Vienna. This date marks the annual celebration of Wrestling Day. The oldest sport was included in the program of the first Olympics, revived after a long break in 1896. Only 1 set of medals was competed among the athletes competing in the open air of Athens. The fights took place without clearly established rules - the style of competition was close to Greco-Roman wrestling. Today, the number of medal sets being played out at the Summer Olympic Games is 18. The International Federation of United Styles of Wrestling (FILA) was created in 1912. It organizes competitions and popularizes this sport in countries around the world, incl. by celebrating World Wrestling Day. Today FILA supervises the following styles: Greco-Roman, freestyle, women's and beach wrestling, pankration, grappling and combat grappling. Sports disciplines in which opponents engage in one-on-one combat differ in the type of techniques used. Martial arts are divided into striking (boxing, taekwondo, savate, karate, etc.), wrestling (judo, aikido, sambo, sumo, jiu-jitsu, etc.), mixed (wushu, pakration, hand-to-hand combat, etc.) and using weapons (fencing, kendo). Despite existing stereotypes, almost all styles are mastered by women. They participate in amateur warm-ups in sumo, professional warm-ups in kuresh, MMA and other types of martial arts. These sports, which improve health, discipline, develop strong-willed qualities and teach respect for an opponent, were previously practiced only by men. The first attempts by representatives of the fair sex to take part in freestyle wrestling competitions were made in the late 1970s. Thanks to the initiative of French women and athletes from Scandinavian countries, women's wrestling was included in the FILA list. The first Olympic competitions in this sport took place in 2014. Today, all over the world there are more than 35 thousand women involved in freestyle wrestling, for many of whom May 23 is a professional holiday. Happy Wrestling Day, established in 2014, congratulates athletes, coaches, judges, fans and competition organizers. In honor of the holiday, master classes, international tournaments and other events are held to popularize martial arts.

The “floating” date (April - May - June) of the Vesak holiday is due to the fact that each nation has its own lunar calendar. This holiday is celebrated in many South Asian countries for five days, although it originated in India. Since 1999, the UN has adopted a resolution recognizing Wesak Day as a global heritage. Gautama Buddha was born, received enlightenment and shed his body during the time of the year called the Taurus full moon. Buddhists believe that on this day he descends into the world of people for a few minutes to bless them and remind them that they are not alone. Buddha appears in the valley of Tibet, where pilgrims flock every year on the May full moon. There they chant mantras and recite prayers. Vesak is sometimes called Buddha's birthday. On this holiday, people read prayers and meditate to cleanse the soul, and to cleanse the body they eat food of plant origin (most often rice porridge). Sometimes they do not take food at all, showing that they are free from physical food, but not spiritual. During the five-day holiday, it is unacceptable to drink alcoholic beverages. Buddhists decorate their homes with garlands, paper lotus flowers and light homemade lanterns with lamps inside. Before the holiday, relatives send each other postcards with scenes from the life of Gautama Buddha. On the eve of national celebrations, people work in temples: they do repairs, wash Buddha statues, and decorate them with petals. It is customary to give alms to beggars and to give offerings to monks. People pay tribute to the dead: they visit graves, remember them in quiet words, without indulging in sadness. On the streets they organize theatrical performances showing the three most important episodes in the life of the Buddha. All night long in temples, priests talk about the life of Buddha. Religious chants are organized, parishioners burn candles and fumigate themselves with incense. In the late evening, everyone participates in a procession around the temple and worship of the Buddha statue. Sculptures depicting Buddha as a child are especially preferred. It is also customary to water the Bodhi tree, under which he received enlightenment.

Buddhism is one of the first world religions. The main idea of ​​his is to direct a person on the path of self-development and self-knowledge by achieving a special state, nirvana. Buddhism arose in the first millennium in what is now India. According to historical sources, the founder was a real person - Siddhartha Gautama, known to us as Shakyamuni Buddha. Buddhism, in its essence, not only as a tantric teaching, but also as a special philosophical system, boldly spread throughout the planet. Over many centuries of existence, this religion has acquired its own culture, customs and, of course, holidays. One of the important celebrations in Buddhism is Duinhor Khural, or Kalachakra, which means “wheel of time.” Duinhor originates from the sermon that underlies the teachings of the Vajrayana. Particular attention in this teaching is paid to the practice of mantra: complex psychological and physical exercises that bring enlightenment. Duinhor Khural takes place from the 14th to the 16th day of the third lunar calendar. The culmination occurs on the 15th lunar day. The Khural celebration takes place in three stages: preparatory, main and final. During the first period, the place is blessed and a mandala is built from sand. During the main stage, beautiful prayer services - khurals - are held in the monasteries. The monks, dressed in special headdresses, read excerpts from the treatise Kalachakra-laghu-tantra-raja. At the same time, they use sacred symbols to signify the objects of teaching. Particular importance is attached to the offering and recitation of mantras. At the end of the celebrations, Zhinsreg is made - an offering, the mandala is destroyed and immersed in water. It is believed that the teachings of Kalachakra Tantra provide inexhaustible benefits, bless a person for future rebirths and help self-knowledge and enlightenment. The era of religions has remained in history - the future lies with scientific achievements. But Buddhism, like all other religions, was, is and will be part of a huge culture, which the world is not yet able to abandon. After all, knowledge of oneself and the world around us is the main goal of both science and religion.

On this day, employees of the Ministry of Azerbaijan, which is responsible for ecology, conservation of natural resources, and their proper use, celebrate their professional holiday. The date coincides with the events of 2001, it was then on May 23 that this ministry appeared. For the government it was a completely new structure that abolished all the old committees. All activities related in one way or another to the environment and resources, which must not only be protected, but also increased, came under strict centralized control. The holiday date itself is noted in the May decree of President Ilham Aliyev of 2007, thereby arguing the importance of the work being done. This ministry has been headed by Huseingulu Bagirov since its creation. He was awarded the Order of Glory in 2015 for his work. Under the control of the Ministry of Ecology, a large-scale multi-year greening campaign in Azerbaijan is taking place: more than 5 million trees have been planted. Any cutting down of even a few trees, not approved by the Ministry, is subject to serious proceedings and is considered an offense. It is also involved in activities related to the protection of 14 nature reserves, occupying 2.5% of the entire territory of the largest country in Transcaucasia. In 2004, a special reserve was created - “Eldar Pine”, with the goal of preserving a unique type of breed that remains only on the territory of the Republic. A professional holiday is important for department employees, since their work can be fraught with danger. One of the events aimed at combating illegal hunting, carried out in the fall of 2016, ended with a gunshot wound to one of the Ministry of Ecology employees. Since Azerbaijan is very careful about the protection of animals, a set of measures against poaching is strengthened every year. The problem of the impact on nature from oil refining activities was very acute for this country. Timely measures taken made it possible to transform heavily polluted areas into modern environmental projects. All decisive and tough measures taken by the President and the Ministry of Ecology are aimed at improving people’s health, because the quality of life of the citizens of the Republic is directly related to the characteristics of water and air. Therefore, on May 23, it is so important to involve the residents of Azerbaijan themselves in environmental problems. The campaigns and events for landscaping and cleaning activities taking place on this day in all regions of the country have become a symbol and a clear indicator that the work of the Ministry is not in vain, is going in the right direction and can become an example for many countries.

Baha'i Holidays - Declaration of the Bab

Holidays of Tajikistan - Youth Day

Holidays of Abkhazia - Day of St. Apostle Simon the Canaanite

Jamaican Holidays - Jamaica Labor Day

Simon Sowing is celebrated according to the folk calendar on May 23 (May 10 according to the old calendar style). The name of the day is borrowed from the church date of honoring the memory of St. Simon the Zealot, a disciple of Jesus Christ and an apostle of the 12. Simon was the son of Joseph from his first wife, the half-brother of the Savior. During the celebration of Simon's wedding, the supply of wine ran out of wine, which threatened the family with shame, but Mary asked Jesus for help. He managed to create wine from ordinary water. Having seen a miracle from Christ, the groom believed in the Messiah, became his disciple and was always with him, leaving his young wife. After Christ's torment and resurrection, Simon set out to spread Christianity throughout the world. The saint died at the hands of the pagans during painful torture. Since ancient times, this day was considered the name day of Mother Raw Earth. She was revered by the people and called the nurse. The day began with a bow to the Earth; it was considered beneficial to walk barefoot on it in order to absorb strength. All work related to agriculture was postponed, and the day off was dedicated to the Earth. It was also forbidden to stick stakes, pitchforks, shovels or plows into the ground. On Simon's Day, plants were endowed with healing properties, so residents went to collect herbs, flowers and roots. They were dried in attics, and medicinal tinctures for common diseases were prepared from the tested plants. One had to collect herbs alone, with a clean body and clean clothes. Some herbs were not allowed to be plucked with bare hands; to do this, they were wrapped in a scarf or rag. In order for the herb to bring benefits, they performed rituals with spells, and also asked Mother Earth to bless it. On Simon's day, there was a tradition of bringing brooms of freshly picked herbs into the home. They were hung over beds, in the kitchen, over thresholds. Residents believed that if a broom was seen near a child’s bed earlier than usual, it meant that the child might become ill in the near future. A broom that accidentally fell on a visiting guest indicated his unclean thoughts. Simon was called the patron saint of treasure hunters, so this day was considered successful for finding buried treasures. Believing this, young people and adventure lovers went in search of them. To find a place with a treasure, they read special spells. If it rained on Simonov's day, the peasants prepared for a wet summer. The abundance of bees in the morning promised a clear day. Seeing cumulus clouds in the evening meant good weather the next day. Mole pits with scattered earth foreshadowed rain.

In May, India celebrates one of the most significant events in the Buddhist calendar - Buddha Purnima or Buddha's birthday. This holiday falls on the full moon and is considered an official holiday throughout the country. Buddha or Gautama Sidhartha is the founder of one of the three world religions - Buddhism. He was born back in 623 BC, achieved a state of enlightenment, and also died in 543 BC (all on the day of the May full moon!). That is why the people of India celebrate the three most important events at once on a huge scale. In general, Buddha was born into a very wealthy family in the village of Lumbini. Even as a baby, he was never denied anything, but at the age of 29, immediately after the birth of his own son, he radically changed his life. Gautama forever left secular receptions, family, material wealth and went in search of the Truth. For several years Sidhartha was engaged in meditation and contemplation, and when he turned 35, sitting on the banks of the Ganges River (today there is the holy city for all Buddhists Bodh Gaya), enlightenment descended on him and he became Buddha. After that, he went around the country with his sermons, in which he called for self-knowledge, self-improvement and self-contemplation. This is the only way, Buddha believed, that one can protect oneself and be saved from the numerous sufferings that are so abundant in our world. He rejected the teachings of the Vedas, did not believe in the existence of God at all, but nevertheless recognized the existence of karma, and, accordingly, the possibility of transmigration of the soul. The teachings of Buddha gained enormous popularity among the population, and, during the time of the powerful Emperor Ashoka, even became the state religion. Over time, Buddhism spread to the territories of Burma, Nepal, Ceylon, the islands of Indonesia, Korea, Japan and Tibet. Nowadays, a huge number of pilgrims from all over the world gather on the day of the May full moon in Bodh Gaya for Buddha Purnima. They read prayers together, recite texts from scriptures, hold discussions on religious topics, meditate and, of course, worship the great Buddha.

Buddhism is a religion or teaching whose adherents number many millions of people on our planet. Like any other religion, it has its own founder - a leading figure, whose teaching or pattern of behavior is embedded in the canons of the teaching itself. For Buddhism, the main thing is the Buddha. This man was born around 623 BC. and lived to be about 80 years old. It is believed that during his life he gained enlightenment - for which he began to be called that, because the word “Buddha” is literally translated as “enlightened one.” Then he reached Nirvana - this is the highest degree of withdrawal into oneself and the acquisition of calm and tranquility. Since then, there have been quite a few Buddhas - after all, those of the great monks who achieved enlightenment during their lives began to be called such. Since the main Buddha, that is, Gautama Siddhartha in the world or Buddha-Shakyamuni in Buddhism, was the first person to achieve enlightenment, his image is revered most of all. Gautama was born, gained enlightenment and went into Nirvana at approximately the same period of the year - this happened in the spring, so they decided to combine the main Buddhist holidays into one - Donchod Khural, which symbolizes the day of birth, enlightenment and departure to Nirvana of Buddha. The celebration takes place every year on a different day, in each country on its own. It all depends on the astronomical state of the moon and sun, relative to our planet, time zones and other natural factors that affect time. The Donchod Khural holiday is considered to be the most important holiday in Buddhism, and its duration is seven days. At this time, prayer services are held in Buddhist temples, in which the founder of the religion is chanted, and various kinds of traditional processions and marches take place. The streets along which religious representatives pass are traditionally decorated with paper flowers or lanterns. All these are symbols of enlightenment, finding oneself; these days on the streets you can hear stories from the life of Buddha. It is interesting that in the history of Buddhism, 24 Buddhas are known, a list, deeds and life stories of which can be found in one of the collections of Buddhist chronicles.

Orthodox holidays on May 23:

Feast of the miraculous Kiev-Brotherly Icon of the Mother of God

Memorial Day of St. Apostle Simon the Zealot