November 28 - World Compassion Day is a fairly young holiday; it began to be celebrated only in 2012. I owe my appearance to Pritish Nandi, an Indian journalist, public figure and writer. The very first World Compassion Day was dedicated to the problem of humanity towards animals, compassion for all living beings on the planet. Activists from different countries gathered in Mumbai, where they discussed the responsibility of people towards each other, as well as towards various forms of life. The question of the importance of vegetarianism in society was raised. The Dalai Lama took part in the events. The ideology of the holiday is based on the principle of ahimsa, on which the philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi is based. In addition, adherents of Buddhism and Hinduism, as well as people who practice yoga, are familiar with it. The principle of ahimsa means non-violence in its broadest sense. That is, it is a refusal to harm not only people, but also animals and even plants. Moreover, any harm - both through actions and words or thoughts. The term was taken from the Indian religious movement of Jainism. Compassion Day is a global holiday, but is most widely celebrated in India, the birthplace of Jainism. The initiators of the celebration advocate conscious actions to resist violence and cruelty. Moreover, they should be directed specifically against evil, but not against the people committing it. This is the principle of no hatred. Only in this way, in accordance with the ideology of ahimsa, can one destroy evil and hatred throughout the world, and not become involved in its spread. World Compassion Day can be celebrated in the following ways:1. Spread the word about this important holiday. This can be done through social networks and in personal conversations with relatives, friends and acquaintances. 2. Spend a day as a volunteer at an animal shelter or provide any possible assistance to such a shelter (transport, information, building materials, accompanying charges to procedures at a veterinary clinic). 3. Make a charitable donation to a trusted non-profit organization. 4. If your health allows, become a blood donor. The main motive for participating in the donor movement is compassion for people. 5. Start learning to respect nature, for example, reducing the use of plastic in everyday life. After all, plastic causes enormous harm to the environment. If possible, you should avoid disposable tableware and bags. You can come to the supermarket with your own bag, and in many coffee shops no one is surprised by visitors with their own thermal mug.

November 28 is Drunken Hedgehog Day, which falls into the category of “funny” and even ridiculous holidays. But it was precisely this kind of campaign that made the date very popular. This holiday has its own backstory. It was created by Hungarian peasants, who, apparently, have a very specific sense of humor. In fact, there are other names for this day, such as Harvest Day. Some people believe that this holiday is just a figment of the imagination of cheerful farmers, but it also has a practical component. The fact is that when the crop ripened there were always many rodents and pests trying to feast on it. Mice and rats were considered the most voracious. At that time there were no effective pesticides. It must be said that even today the problem of rodents in the fields cannot be solved, despite the impressive arsenal of chemicals. It seems that these pests are simply immortal. But, as you can see, a way out was found. In particular, it was experimentally found that some animals are very greedy for alcohol. Most likely, this discovery was made by accident. However, it is indeed known that hedgehogs, the exotic animals Tupaya and several other species enjoy alcohol. Of course, we are not talking about a strong strength like vodka, but beer is quite suitable. Hedgehogs turned out to be very greedy for these drinks, namely beer. If you consider that beer was previously brewed without adding any preservatives, but only on the basis of natural inclusions, including wheat, honey, hops, and rye, then it becomes clear why animals were also among the fans of the drink. Moreover, the hedgehogs were not given water for entertainment, to watch their staggering gait and rolling on the grass. It is known that these animals are enemies of mice and rats. Besides, they are brave. Not even all cats can attack an impressively sized rat, preferring to flee, but hedgehogs are more courageous. They know that their small size is more than compensated by an abundance of needles, sharp teeth and quick reactions. Alcohol makes hedgehogs even more courageous, and to be precise, more aggressive. This is what allows them to actively attack rodents, destroying them in large volumes. At least as long as alcohol affects the brain. That is why peasants of past centuries placed bowls of intoxicating drink everywhere. Some eyewitnesses claim that numerous tubs, plates and other containers were placed under almost every bush in farmers' fields. This had an effect, and the number of rodents decreased. Today it is not at all necessary to resort to this method, since technology does not stand still. But the tradition of celebrating Drunken Hedgehog Day remains. It has grown into a regular holiday, which is in many ways similar to Harvest Day. It is celebrated by farmers, peasants and simply all lovers of funny celebrations. On this day you can bake something from the national cuisine, for example, pies, baked potatoes. The main thing is that the menu is associated with rustic European cuisine. Of course, it is considered good form to raise a glass of beer or two in honor of drunken hedgehogs, who at one time helped farmers a lot. By the way, these animals earned so much respect that the peasants locked their dogs at night so that nothing would distract the prickly animals from hunting rodents. On this day, of course, it is worth remembering that often it is animals that come to the aid of people. Of course, this is primarily obvious in agriculture. But in many other cases they are involved in work. Many people know stories about rescue dogs, about horses that shared all the hardships of battles with humans. Therefore, it would be a shame to forget about drunken hedgehogs, who not only amused farmers with their courage, but also really helped fight aggressive mice and rats in the fields.

November 28 is the Day of the Red Planet, that is, Mars. Its chemical composition actually contains a large amount of iron, which gives it a red tint, making the planet unique, unlike any others. The history of the international holiday dates back to the last century, when in 1964 a satellite was launched to photograph the surface and transmit the images to Earth. This mission was carried out by the international space station Mariner 4. It so happened that American scientists were the first to create the station and launch it into orbit. Before November 28, 1964, three attempts had already been made to send the ISS to explore Mars, but, unfortunately, they were unsuccessful. And only for the fourth time the device managed to get as close as possible to the surface, take photographs, fly around the planet and return safely to Earth. That is why the holiday was established. For the middle of the last century, this was an unheard of success, although today such flights seem commonplace. By the way, today devices have been developed that not only easily cover gigantic distances, but also descend directly onto the surface of Mars, extracting soil. However, November 28th is dedicated to the launch of the ISS in 1964, as it was the very first space mission that was successful for humanity. Perhaps someone may wonder why the same days were not established for other planets, for example, Venus, Jupiter or Saturn. This is partly a philosophical question, because it so happens that it is Mars that seems more mysterious and attractive to people. If we analyze the numerous novels of science fiction writers dedicated to travel in the Universe, then most often Mars appears in them. Such noticeable interest is due to the fact that the planet is the first candidate among all others, ready to accept people on its surface. Other planets are less suitable for life, even theoretically, but the colonization of Mars with the formation of the first human settlements there seems quite real to many scientists. Maybe not now, but definitely in the future. If you analyze songs and folklore, you can also see how the Red Planet excites people’s minds. How can one not recall the classics of Soviet songs, in which poets predicted that “And apple trees will bloom on Mars...”. At least, that’s what the famous songwriter Evgeny Dolmatovsky promised. This day is celebrated in different ways and involves great creativity. Traditionally, the network of programs in many countries around the world includes more programs about the exploration of the Universe and the history of the conquest of space. Feature films related to this topic are also shown. Scientists and amateur enthusiasts do not miss the chance to popularize science and awaken humanity’s interest in studying this topic. Of course, many also remember a whole galaxy of astronauts who risked their own lives to give new knowledge to humanity. As you know, not all space missions were successful, and many astronauts died while doing their duty. On this day it is customary to honor their memory, which has already become a good tradition. Sometimes you hear very unusual and even frightening theories about how the Red Planet can be made more suitable for life. For example, some scientists propose to warm up its atmosphere by exposing it to atomic charges, that is, in fact, using atomic bombings of the planet, which also attracts the interest of ordinary people to the “Martian theme.”

One of the 12 apostles in Orthodoxy, disciples of Jesus Christ, is Apostle Philip. He also preached after the resurrection of Jesus in Greece and Galilee. Today they pray to the Apostle Philip to protect themselves from vision diseases; it is believed that he can save from snake bites and even from depression - sadness and grief. In Belarus, a holiday is dedicated to him - Pilipovka. It is celebrated on November 28th. On this day, fasting begins, six weeks long before Christmas. Pilipovka has its own rituals and traditions. Thus, it is believed that all household chores must be completed before noon, so that by evening the house will be comfortable and clean. On November 28, they monitor the weather - people believed that if it was snowy and gloomy outside on Pilipovka, May would be rainy, but if it was sunny, it would be warm and clear. In the old days, girls went to Pilipoku to weave, as evidenced by many ancient folklore finds. Since people began fasting on this day, they had to prepare meat and slaughter pigs before November 28, so that later there would be no temptation to treat themselves to meat - after all, by Christmas, meat should be mandatory on the table. Of course, not many traditions have survived to this day - in cities, even less so, only fasting is observed. But in the villages they know this holiday well. There are some sayings indicating that Pilipovka remains an important day of the Christian calendar in Belarus. This day is also associated with something else - before Pilipovka, that is, before the start of Lent, they tried to complete all the weddings - after all, celebrating such an important day during Lent is a sin. Therefore, weddings that took place in the last week before November 28 were called wolf weddings. This is where phrases like “Walk like a wolf in Pilipovka” or “See that Pilipovsky is a wolf” came from. In a word, Pilipovka is the day on which the preparation of a person’s body and soul begins, its cleansing before the great holiday of Christmas. Naturally, on this day a person’s spirituality prevailed - the day was a harbinger of something great and solemn.

Neologisms appear in a language as a result of borrowing foreign words. At first, they are perceived by native speakers as something unusual and alien to their usual speech. Coach, runet, merchandiser, supervisor, fake, lockdown, trolling, copywriter... These words, despite the fact that they have been used for many years, still hurt the ears, but their meaning is clear to native Russian speakers on an intuitive level. There are also author's neologisms. New words that appeared thanks to writers and poets take root and eventually become commonly used. Usually this process is observed at the turn of eras. Thus, thanks to the work of the revolutionary poet Vladimir Mayakovsky, not only an unusual poetic meter, “ladder”, appeared, but also neologisms. “With what pleasure would I be whipped and crucified by the gendarmerie caste for holding a hammer-like, sickle-shaped Soviet passport in my hands.” The poet writes about the “fired sand”, the “over-sitting”, “assed” police, the unreasonable “mass-meat bull-faced horde”. Individually authored neologisms have become a sign not only of the post-revolutionary period. The times of Khrushchev's Thaw were marked by the emergence of the sixties movement - a generation of intellectuals who were conventionally divided into physicists and lyricists. The brightest representative of the galaxy of poets of that time, Evgeny Yevtushenko, belongs to “antediluvium”, “half-childhood”, “I’ll get over it”, the phrases “manicured fingers”, “floors are traced”, “crisply wanders through the cold”, the expression “Brevity is the sister of mediocrity”, etc. . A holiday has been established in honor of the ability to invent occasionalisms. He calls on all speakers of the Russian language to remember its lexical wealth and discover their talent for word creation. The creators of the unusual celebration are convinced that neologisms can be created not only by poets and writers, but also by ordinary people. That's why November 28th is a fun Inventing New Words Day. This process is not something out of the ordinary, because... present in everyday life. So, parents of babies, grandparents, touched by their cute children, come up with affectionate nicknames for them: “kitty”, “cutie”, “little bead” and “masipusik”. Partners show no less imagination and ingenuity during the beginning of a romantic relationship. In the conversations of a newly-made couple, “kukurenok”, “pusya”, “smumrik”, “pupyrsik”, “sun” and other words from the language of lovers are often heard. The unusual holiday, which takes place on November 28, encourages people to use their imagination, imagining themselves as a creative person. Even A.S. Pushkin, despite his masterful command of language, came up with occasionalisms that made his poems unique and his poetry original. Admirers of his talent are well aware of the expression “I erected a monument to myself not made by hands.” The sun of Russian poetry also includes “accustomed to counter-feelings,” “blessing speeches” and “easy-tongued orations.” The creators of the holiday believe that everyone who celebrates the Day of Inventing New Words can reap the laurels of Piita. Who knows, maybe your neologism will come into use and become a commonly used word, thereby enriching the vocabulary of the language.

Independence Day, Flag Day in Albania(Dita e Pavaresise, Dita e Flamurit)

On November 28, Orthodox Christians celebrate the day of remembrance of three Christian martyrs - Guria, Aviv and Samon. The holiday was named Guryev Day in honor of one of them. The life stories of the three martyrs were recorded by their contemporary, Theophilus of Edessa. At a young age he was a convinced pagan, but later revised his beliefs and became a Christian. First, Theophilus wrote about the martyrdom of Gurias and Samon, and then created a separate chronicle about Aviv, who died for the faith much later. The Roman Emperor Diocletian entered the annals of history not only as an eccentric who exchanged power for growing cabbage. He was known primarily as the initiator of the great persecution of Christians. This persecution for faith became the most brutal in the entire history of the Roman Empire. In 303, Diocletian, along with the rest of the tetrarchs, drafted a bill whose provisions would deprive Christians of their civil rights. They had to give up their religion and become pagans like the rest of the Romans. Diocletian and other rulers did not stop there. They issued several more edicts, because of which Christian priests became outlaws, and ordinary believers had to take part in sacrifices. Naturally, such despotic orders were not liked by those against whom they were directed. Some Christians actually chose to leave the faith and save their lives, but there were many who fought to the very end. Since at that time there were four rulers in power, these laws were implemented selectively in different parts of the large empire. Diocletian was an ardent opponent of Christianity and it was with his message that mass persecution began. The emperor, long before the start of the official “sheep hunt,” mercilessly executed Christians, removed them from the army, and carefully selected only haters of this religion into his circle. Gury and Samon were laymen from the ancient city of Edessa, of which only ruins remain today in southeastern Turkey. When mass persecution began, both hastily left the city, deciding to flee, but their pursuers overtook them and took them into custody. Samon and Gury were given a chance to avoid torture and execution. They were persuaded to take part in the pagan ritual of sacrifice, thereby abandoning Christian beliefs, but the captives were adamant. Guria and Samon were brought to trial, where torture was used instead of persuasion. The martyrs were tied with shackles, a stone was tied to their feet and left in a suspended position for several hours. Even after such torture, the captives did not accept the pagan faith. They were returned to prison, where, according to various sources, they spent from several months to several years. When the trial was repeated, Samon was again tortured, but the martyrs remained adamant, for which they were beheaded. Local Christians took care of the bodies of the dead and buried the remains. Deacon Aviv suffered martyrdom much later. By that time, the great persecution had already ended, but the new emperor Licinius was prejudiced against Christians. Someone wrote a denunciation against Aviva, for which the clergyman was taken into custody and brought to trial before the ruler. Licinius tried to persuade the deacon to the pagan faith, but he refused. Aviva was burned alive. In Rus', this holiday was called not only Gury’s Day, but also simply Gury or Guryan. People used to say, “Gury came on a piebald mare.” On this day, people paid quite a lot of attention to animals. There was even such a sign that if the horses in the stable neighed loudly on Guryev’s Day, it meant that the year would be successful. It was believed that this martyr could drive away any evil spirits that were hiding in the ground in the hope of hiding from the coming cold. Gury, according to legend, helped in the treatment of toothaches, so on the holiday they turned to him with an appropriate prayer. People who were born on Guryev's day were given a cartload of hay or oats for the holiday. In this way, peasants ensured good health for their horses. If snow fell on Guryev’s day, then according to signs it was believed that it would remain until the spring flood. The frost on the holiday was good news, as it drove out all evil spirits from the earth. The Nativity fast also begins on Guryev's day.

Orthodox holidays November 28:

On November 28, the Nativity Fast begins in the Eastern Christian tradition. Its duration is a long 40 days, which will end on the eve of the great holiday of the Nativity of the Savior Jesus Christ. The named date is permanent, as it is directly related to the established date of the Nativity of Christ on January 7. The implementation of a multi-day fast begins in the 4th century, this is mentioned in the works of great saints and righteous people, and the Church Council of Constantinople in 1166 established its forty-day period. The long period is designed to prepare a person for Christmas week, cleansing his body and strengthening his spirit. The meaning of each Orthodox fast is to gain spiritual purity through prayers and good deeds. Consequently, voluntary renunciation of amusements and excesses in food should not be an end in itself, diverting attention from the true essence of observing the Christian tradition. According to popular custom, the Nativity Fast is called Filippov, since its eve falls on the day of St. Philip the Apostle. Until Filippov's Day, throughout November, the peasants' tables were laden with dishes from the new harvest and hearty hunting trophies. In November, folk festivals took place one after another. By the beginning of the Nativity Fast, it was necessary to have time to hold noisy and hearty weddings, because the church would not bless such events before Christmas. Kudeletsa began on Filippov's Day, which was the name of the special week for folk needlewomen. Girls and women, getting together in the evenings, made yarn from tow - the fibrous part of flax, hemp, wool, cleaned of unnecessary impurities. For this case, there was a special saying: “If you don’t strain in winter, you won’t strain in summer.” Many popular beliefs were associated with the Philippine fast. Thus, housewives were not recommended to clean the house in the dark; there was a danger of evil spirits sweeping into the home. Maintaining a fire in a stove or a simple candle, on the contrary, drove away the harmful forces of evil. It was strictly forbidden to quarrel during Lent not only by church ministers, but also by the belief that now anger and resentment would settle in the house for a whole year. But rumors approved of waste at the market during the Lenten period, promising a comfortable life until the next winter. There was a ban on hunting and fishing until Christmas. This could probably be due to the beginning of the “wolf month,” when hungry packs behaved especially riskily and approached human habitation in search of food. Centuries-old observations of nature have made a connection with the weather on the Philippov fast and the future harvest. Severe frosts promised a grain year, and frequent snowstorms promised an early arrival of spring. The Nativity fast is not as strict as Great Lent, but during its period there is such a secular holiday as the New Year. This coincidence is a difficulty for many believers who have decided to observe Orthodox traditions. Many clergy emphasize that Lenten dishes can be no less tasty and festive, and you should not deprive yourself and your children of the joys of winter fun. The main thing is to maintain in the soul and heart the state of love to which Christ called.

Feast of the Kupyatitsky Icon of the Mother of God

Memorial Day of the Holy Martyrs Guria, Samon and Aviv

Memorial Day of St. Paisius Velichkovsky