Types of holidays, their classification, categories

Holidays come in many different forms. There are some that we generally don’t celebrate (like some state ones), but they are red days of the calendar, that is, weekends. And that’s what makes us happy about them

And there are holidays, for example, personal ones (birthdays, anniversaries). Unfortunately, no one does them on weekends if they fall on weekdays. But if your birthday falls on Monday (a difficult day), then isn’t this a great reason to celebrate this day with colleagues? Naturally, the boss doesn’t see it yet.

Also, if in Russia religious holidays fall on weekdays, then no one makes them days off (with the exception that Christmas always falls on New Year's holidays and is accordingly a day off). Unlike, for example, Germany, where Germans have every right to rest on all Catholic holidays.

Although in Russia there are enough red days on the calendar even without this. But what Russian doesn’t like to have a good rest and celebrate?

So let's move on to the holiday categories .

Classification

Not many of us have thought about the variety of holidays, rather because they are the same for us. These are fun and joyful events. But still they are divided into several categories:

Public holidays are also called red days. Such days are designated as days off at the government level, and working people have additional rest.
Religious dates are dates that originate from Orthodoxy in Rus' and are still celebrated today. These events passed through the years of Soviet atheism and were not forgotten by our church.
Children's parties are celebrations that we know from an early age. They made us happy and cheered us up from kindergarten, and then throughout our school years. How can you not remember them!
Military holidays - these celebrations are not celebrated by everyone. They cope with representatives of different branches of the military, in which men and women serve.
Corporate are dates that are celebrated by representatives of different professions on a specific day.
Family events are significant events that are important to certain people.
Seasonal - such events are accepted in Russia and are celebrated everywhere on its territory. These include Maslenitsa, Ivan Kupala Day, etc.

Egory Autumn (St. George's Day)

Egor Autumn is a national celebration; many traditions and customs are associated with it. Orthodox believers remember the consecration of the Cathedral of the Great Martyr George the Victorious in Kyiv. According to ancient beliefs, this great martyr patronizes farmers and commands wolves. The memorable date is called autumn, since according to the Julian calendar it fell on November 26, according to the new style introduced after the October Revolution, the celebration is celebrated on December 9.

Yaroslav the Wise, head of the Kyiv principality, was baptized under the name George. In ancient times, it was considered good form among members of the elite to build cathedrals in honor of patrons. The Old Russian prince did the same and ordered the construction of a cathedral in honor of St. George the Victorious. A site was chosen for construction work near the famous St. Sophia Cathedral. The ritual of lighting the church was held on November 26, three years before the death of Yaroslav the Wise.

Read more about Yegoriy Osenniy (St. George's Day)

State

This name includes various types of holidays, which are considered popular in Russia. They are celebrated at the state level. Such days are officially considered days off.

On these dates, all classes are canceled in kindergartens, schools, institutes and other educational institutions. Organizations and enterprises declare a day off. Most workers take rest, except for those workers who are employed in industries with a continuous schedule.

The types of holidays that fall under the category of public holidays are considered to be:

The first of January has traditionally been considered a New Year's celebration since 1898, and since 1992 the second of January has become a day off. Later, since 2002, at the official level the holiday began to be celebrated from January 1 to January 5.
The seventh of January is the Nativity of Christ among Orthodox Christians. Since 1991 it has been recognized as a day off. These are types of New Year holidays, the duration of which is 10 days (from January 1 to January 9).
February 23 has been celebrated in Russia since 1922. Day off only since 2002.
March 8 is International Women's Day, and has been a non-working day since 1965.
Since 1918, the first of May has been a significant date for workers, and since 1991 it has become a holiday of spring and labor.
The ninth of May is Victory Day over the fascist invaders. Since 1965, it has been recognized as not working.
June 12 is Russia Day, and since 1992 it has been a day off.
November 4 is National Unity Day, celebrated since 2005.

The listed types of national holidays are official, which are celebrated at the state level. According to the law of the Russian Federation, if any of them falls on Saturday or Sunday, then the day off is automatically postponed to the next working day.

Religious holidays

In addition to state celebrations, for which it is customary to relax, there are also religious ones. Such holidays do not count as weekends. At the same time, they are popular and celebrated no worse than the above.

Such holidays include dates celebrated by the Orthodox Church. On these days, services are held in churches.

The Nativity of Christ in the Orthodox Church is celebrated on January 7, preceded by a forty-day fast. This is one of the few religious celebrations that are celebrated at the state level.
Baptism of Christ - January 19.
The Presentation of the Lord - the bringing of the baby Jesus to the temple, February 15.
Annunciation - April 7.
Easter is a moving holiday, calculated from year to year according to the lunar calendar.
The Ascension of the Lord is celebrated on the fortieth day after Easter.
Holy Trinity - celebrated on the fiftieth day after Easter.
Transfiguration of the Lord - August 19.
Pokrov - October 14.
Since 2010, Russia has celebrated the Epiphany of Rus' on July 28.

These types of holidays are the most important religious celebrations according to the Orthodox calendar.

Day of Heroes of the Fatherland

The Day of Heroes of the Fatherland has been celebrated for the 12th time. It is dedicated to the establishment of the Order of St. George, which has been awarded for special military valor since the time of Empress Catherine II. The ceremonial events are attended by lovers of Russian history and people awarded the titles of Hero of the Russian Federation or Hero of the Soviet Union on December 9.

Despite the fact that the Order of St. George was approved back in 1769 by decree of Catherine II, the holiday itself is very young. Its annual celebration was established at the legislative level only on February 28, 2007. The document granting official status to the holiday was signed by Vladimir Putin.

The order itself had four degrees of distinction and was one of the most prestigious awards of the Russian Empire, awarded for courage and honor demonstrated in combat conditions. Back in tsarist times, the tradition arose to celebrate the Day of the Knights of St. George on December 9.

Read more about Heroes of the Fatherland Day

Children's matinees

Children's parties are the brightest moments in a child's life, so they must be managed with a special effect. All celebrations that are celebrated by a child in kindergarten can be divided into several categories.

Birthday is the most long-awaited and most memorable holiday for all children. On this day, the child is the center of attention of the entire group. In this case, it is very important that the birthday is celebrated individually and that they are not similar to one another.
New Year's holiday - every child loves this long-awaited day. All children hope for something new, for some kind of magic that must happen to them. On this holiday, Santa Claus must come to them and give them the most necessary gift. Usually such celebrations are convenient and should be held in kindergarten, so that the children celebrate them together.
Matinees - these types of celebrations in kindergarten are timed to coincide with some national holiday, for example, March 8 (for girls) or February 23 (for boys), Victory Day or any other significant date. On such a day, as a rule, parents sew a variety of costumes for their children. These holidays become very memorable for children, and these memories accompany them for a long time when they become adults.
School and student holidays - these dates are celebrated in older age. Such memorable days can quite well unite students among themselves.

What day is today. December 3 - Lawyer's Day

Traditionally, on December 3, the Russian Lawyers Association awards the highest legal prize in Russia, “Lawyer of the Year.” The award recognizes lawyers who have made a significant contribution to the formation of the rule of law, the protection of the rights and legitimate interests of citizens, as well as to the development of legal science. The first laureate of the prize in 2009 was one of the developers of the Constitution of the Russian Federation and the Civil Code, Doctor of Legal Sciences Sergei Alekseev.

The prize is awarded in five categories: “For contribution to legal science”, “Human rights activities”, “Legal education”, “Development of legislation” and “Legal education and upbringing”. In 2021, a special nomination “For the protection of social and labor rights of citizens” was established. This year, the award ceremony will be held in person; guests will be required to present vaccination certificates or PCR tests.

In addition, the Russian Lawyers Association will hold the V All-Russian Legal (Legal) Dictation from December 3 to 12. You can check your level of legal literacy on the website “jurdictant.rf”.

On the eve of the holiday, Rossiyskaya Gazeta asked a legal theorist and a legal practitioner about the challenges that the legal community is now facing.

According to the doctor of legal sciences, acting. Head, Professor of the Department of Theory of State and Law of the Faculty of Law of Lomonosov Moscow State University Elizaveta Frolova, currently one can note the increasing role of law as a social regulator.

“Citizens pin their hopes on him for the exercise of their rights and freedoms, for ensuring order and stability of society as a whole,” the professor said, emphasizing that success in the law enforcement sphere is associated with the legislative activity of the state - laws must be concise, precise, and clear.

The Doctor of Science noted that in the 21st century, humanity is faced with many challenges that cannot be resolved without the intervention of lawyers. Among them are terrorism, migration flows, environmental problems, lack of fresh water and food security, and the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the objects of activity of legal scholars today are projects on digitalization, the creation of artificial intelligence and developments in the field of the human genome.

“However, the main purpose of lawyers, as before, is to resolve legal disputes. According to the 17th century English philosopher J. Locke, there must be a force in society that is capable of maintaining the existing order, passing a fair verdict and carrying it out. Lawyers are this force. Peace, sustainability, respect for human rights, the rule of law, and good governance depend on their skills. Fiat iustitia! Dear colleagues, Happy Lawyer’s Day!” said Frolova.

Expert of the All-Russian movement “Strong Russia”, Honored Lawyer of Russia Dmitry Krasnov, discussed the challenges facing Russian lawyers today. According to him, the level of legal knowledge of Russians is not yet high enough, while social relations in the country have become more complicated, so the role of the legal community and any lawyer is, among other things, to increase the level of legal knowledge of ordinary citizens. In addition, Krasnov noted, lawyers should contribute to the construction of civil society, the creation of social movements that would express the interests of people of different social groups and different regions.

Another important challenge for lawyers, in his opinion, is the growing complexity of international relations, which also affects the lives of people whose interests lawyers represent. “The system of interstate relations is becoming more complicated, risks of international conflicts are emerging, trade is slowing down, and the possibility of crisis phenomena emerging, including a global economic crisis, economic wars, and local conflicts in the regions,” he emphasized.

Official children's celebrations

The main types of children's parties, which are celebrated both by children and their parents, and by teachers in kindergartens, are considered to be:

Student - January 25 (known as Tatyana's day). Officially celebrated in our country since 2005, it is a holiday in the country's institutes and colleges.
June 1 is a well-known international holiday for the protection of children.
Traditionally, Youth Day is celebrated annually on June 27th.
September 1 is a significant holiday for students and teachers; it means Knowledge Day
Teacher's Day is celebrated on October 5th.

All types of holidays in kindergarten are significant for the child. It is at this age that a person learns about the world and learns to enjoy all significant dates. The child’s perception of this date in the future depends on how the holiday is organized.

What holidays are considered the most important?

Nowadays there are a very large number of holidays, including the New Year, March 8, and other various dates. But, as a rule, what is considered an important and significant event for one person, for another it does not play any role at all. But absolutely all these dates are a necessary part of human life. After all, even thousands of years ago people commemorated events and celebrated them with special joy. The same thing is happening now, sumptuous tables are set, families gather, fireworks are set off.

Sometimes it is on holidays that reconciliation occurs between people who were once in a quarrel, and acquaintances occur in the same way.

All holidays are divided into two groups: these are personal holidays, which are celebrated only by a certain circle of people, and the so-called public holidays, which are celebrated by almost all people.

Military celebrations

In addition to holidays that are designed to delight the people in peacetime, there are also dates that glorify the Russian armed forces. They are celebrated both together, for example on February 23, and are celebrated directly by certain branches of the military, in whose honor they exist.

This category includes significant dates for our country associated with armed clashes or military conflicts.

These dates are officially considered to be:

Corps of Engineers - January 21.
Submariners - March 19.
Air Defense Forces - (since 1975) second Sunday in April.
Border Guard Day is May 28.
Navy Day is the last Sunday in July.
Airborne Forces - August 2.
Railway troops - August 6.
Air Force - August 12.
Russian Flag Day is August 22.
Russian Guard - September 2.
Tankers - second Sunday in September.
Space Forces - October 4.
Signalmen - October 20.
Special forces - October 24.
Scout Day - November 5th.
Rocket troops and artillery - November 19.
Marines - November 27.

January

January 12, Tuesday

Day of the Prosecutor's Office of the Russian Federation

January 13, Wednesday

Russian Press Day

January 14, Thursday

Day of the creation of Russian pipeline troops

January 15, Friday

Day of formation of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation

January 21, Thursday

Russian Engineering Troops Day

January 22, Friday

Aviation Day of the Russian Air Defense Forces

January 23, Saturday

Day of employees of the investigation bodies of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia

January 25, Monday

Navigator Day of the Russian Navy

Memorable dates

An important event of the Great Patriotic War, when the blockade of Leningrad was lifted, is celebrated on January 27.
The day of the defeat of fascist troops at Stalingrad is February 2.
May 9 is the great Victory Day. This is the most important and important holiday in the country.
The Day of Military Remembrance and Sorrow is celebrated on June 22, when the German fascist invaders attacked the USSR in 1941.
The date of the defeat of fascist troops in the Battle of Kursk is August 23.
The day when World War II officially ended and peace reigned on the planet is September 2. It is the day of the end of the war in which nuclear weapons were used.
The date of the counteroffensive near Moscow is the official date, December 5.

Corporate events

Corporate celebrations were conceived with one goal - to unite the company’s team and make it friendly and indestructible. Whether this idea succeeds or not is difficult to judge. If the company is small, then all the employees at corporate “get-togethers” can make friends in a way that is impossible to do in the office. But if the company is quite large, then such an idea may not be successful, and there are many reasons for this.

But still, corporate events are becoming quite popular. As a rule, they take place on the date of formation of the company or on the date of the profession's holiday, for example Accountant's Day.

This category includes types of sports events and competitions. They can be used at corporate events, especially when they take place outdoors.

Family holidays and traditions

Holidays in a friendly family

Every family has its own special holidays and traditions.
And if you still have a very young family, then you definitely need to come up with your own unique traditions or remember those traditions of your relatives that suit and like your family and try to strictly observe them. In these crazy times, relatives can only meet and communicate (finally not by phone) at family celebrations or funerals. This is sad. Friendly relations between relatives are a great happiness and, unfortunately, very rare. And for relationships between close people to be truly friendly, they must somehow be revived, maintained, or even restored. Meeting around a common family table is a great way to improve the “weather in the house.” Family celebrations are always distinguished by special warmth and intimacy, since the meaning, meaning and value of a particular date can sometimes be understood only by a narrow circle of relatives.

There can be a lot of reasons for family holidays, if desired. Of course, these are the birthdays of each family member; it could be the day of a meeting or wedding of grandparents, without whom there would be no family. You can celebrate the day mom and dad met, or the promotion (success in business) of one of the spouses, or the successful completion of school, institute, college, the child’s first victory in a tournament or his first performance on stage. Discharge from the maternity hospital, christening, anniversary, wedding anniversary, celebration of the longest or shortest day, and a trip to nature can be turned into a celebration of meeting a green friend - all these episodes are of great importance for relatives, friends and, finally, for yourself .

And it is not necessary that every holiday is a rich feast. If the main thing for the family is communication, you can get by with light snacks, cocktails, a buffet, or have dinner, like in the good old days, by sharing. when everyone brought their favorite dish.

It's great if your family has many traditions that you yourself have come up with and support. Under such circumstances, no one will ever be able to forget about some significant date. In such a family, the menu is discussed in advance, gifts are given by the whole family, and the entertainment is always unusual and fun.

With such relationships, it is very easy to arrange any family celebration with a minimum of effort. You just need to get everyone together (except for the hero of the occasion) and discuss all the details of the future holiday - how to decorate the room, what to give as gifts, what entertainment will be at the holiday, and distribute responsibilities. Someone will be responsible for invitations, someone will be responsible for purchasing products, someone will be responsible for selecting the musical accompaniment of the holiday or preparing the necessary items for games and competitions.

If you don’t have such a close-knit family, or you have a very young family, then at some point you need to start doing something to unite the family, and preparing for some significant event is the best reason for this. And if you manage to attract like-minded people to prepare the holiday, then, one might say, half the work is done. Now, the main thing is that everyone completes their part of the task and your holiday will be fun and friendly.

And it will be absolutely wonderful if the celebration of the hero of the occasion begins right from the second he opens his eyes. To do this, while the unsuspecting culprit is sleeping, you need to quietly hang, for example, a balloon man with a greeting card or fasten a poster with congratulations, funny cartoons or photographs at his eye level, for a girl or mother - a bouquet of flowers on a pillow or in a vase next to the bed, the child has a soft toy congratulating him in the voice of his father or mother. You can hang funny notes throughout the apartment (in the bathroom on the mirror, on the toilet, in the closet, and in the bedside table) with congratulations, expressing your love and indicating where the next surprise is hidden (souvenirs, small gifts bought during year and hidden until the holiday). For a child, you can make everything as if these were his favorite or new, but desired toys that brought him new elegant clothes as a sign that he has become a year older. And gifts can wait for him anywhere: under the pillow, under the plate, under the table. Such an awakening will charge your beloved birthday person with a good mood not only for the whole day, but also for the whole year, and this is worth a lot. And for those who are preparing pleasant surprises, all these secret meetings and preparations give incomparable joy.

In some families, it is customary to give each other handmade gifts. Such memorable gifts are stored in special folders, boxes or on shelves, some of them are passed on as heirlooms to children or grandchildren. There is no need to give faceless gifts; they may be expensive, but they have no soul.

If you have a young family, ask grandparents and other relatives about memorable events in the family. Create a family tree for your family. It is advisable to do this together with the child and with his active participation. Save any items that remind you of a particular event (congratulation notes from the maternity hospital, petals of the first bouquet given, the child’s first things) and from time to time take them out, look at them, remember them, tell them to your children - this will help preserve family ties later.

A close-knit family is the painstaking work of each family member. Family holidays help strengthen the family. Getting to know your ancestry gives you a lot of useful information. There is a feeling of belonging to your city and pride in your family. In order to be worthy of our ancestors, everyone still needs to do a lot, and most importantly, for now, to gain knowledge that will need to be passed on to their children and grandchildren. There is no family without roots, without history, and a family in which they do not remember their ancestors at all is not a family, but a community.

Organize small family holidays more often, pleasant surprises for each other, and your family will not be afraid of any adversities, shocks, troubles - you will easily overcome them together.

Family traditions

Every family must have its own unique traditions . One smart person said: “If there are no traditions in a family, then there is no family.” Traditions develop gradually in every family. Very often, instead of the usual words “hello and bye”, special words are invented that are understandable only to “their own”, or when greeting each other, someone says the first half of the word, and the other - the second, and someone has their own special farewell ritual - comic wishes and advice to each other for the whole day, some gesture that only two people understand, a farewell kiss on the cheek or something else. Everything, even the most insignificant rituals, is not only a family way of life, but also the relationships that develop between family members. If in a family any tradition is a mandatory action, then it can serve well in strengthening the family. And no matter how strange they may seem, one thing is important: family traditions and rituals should not be cumbersome and far-fetched. Let them come into life naturally and gradually.

Of course, if a family has existed for many years, it is very difficult to start any new traditions, although it’s still worth trying, maybe this will improve the “weather in the house” at least a little. But in a young family, having your own traditions is just what the doctor ordered.

After all, family traditions and rituals are the stability of the way of life - “in any weather,” what was once instituted will definitely take place. For little family members, traditions mean confidence in the world around them, security and a positive perception of life, when “every day is a holiday,” as well as unique childhood memories that the baby will someday tell his children about, and most importantly, a feeling of pride in yourself and your family. Everyone is quite capable of creating several family traditions that their children and grandchildren may adhere to! Don't forget just three main rules:

Any ritual should be positive and memorable.
Once established, an action must always be observed, otherwise it is no longer a tradition. You can make it a tradition to follow a variety of small conventions, such as, for example, a special plate or cup for the head of the family, or slippers standing strictly in a certain place. This could be a joint preparation of Sunday lunch (dinner), an evening family tea party, a visit to grandparents on a certain day, and obligatory communication with them by phone. Such family relationships strengthen family ties and help maintain warm, trusting and friendly relationships.
Everything is important to preserve the tradition - smells, sounds, visual images. For example, drinking tea is the smell of vanilla, a family holiday is a favorite melody and bright balls or other decorations, the smell and taste of a special dish. Even after many years have passed, having smelled a familiar smell from childhood or heard a familiar melody, everyone will instantly remember all the events associated with them. And always, a grown child will support similar traditions and rituals in his family, which means that there will be warm and friendly relations in his family.

Some families do not have their own family traditions and family holidays. And it’s not at all a matter of acute shortage of time or money. This reason is superficial, the truth is much simpler and sadder: probably people have nothing to talk about among themselves and it is a burden for them to often see their loved ones. Most likely, there are still holidays, but they are mostly simple gatherings “for an occasion” that are repeated time after time and end in the same way. Such families do not have strong ties and most often break up.

The tradition of organizing family holidays on a variety of occasions is a great way to strengthen family relationships. Each family should have its own unique holidays, for which it is necessary to prepare. And it doesn’t matter what will happen at the holiday: a home performance or performances by younger family members, singing your favorite songs at karaoke, a special dish. The main thing is that after many, many years, your now grown-up child remembers the family New Year or some other holiday with joy and hidden sadness, so that he wants to revive the traditions of his parents’ home in his own family.

The importance of regularly holding your own family holidays is undeniable, especially for the younger generation. Holidays can be very different: a birthday, New Year, or some kind of “color party” you have come up with. You can take, for example, the tradition of organizing holidays for children in honor of the beginning of the summer holidays, September 1, and performing home performances on New Year's Day. While the children are small, these can be puppet shows, but then the children themselves will want to act as actors. And for each holiday, come up with your own program: sometimes it’s a performance by children with songs and poems, sometimes (grandmother, mom, dad, uncle) something like a matinee is prepared for them. For any birthday, a remake song is always performed, intended only for the birthday person. A variety of games, competitions, and riddles are required at every holiday. Such holidays not only strengthen the family, but also make life more fun, brighter, and more diverse. Do you know how fun the rehearsals are, how passionately the script for the upcoming holiday and other preparations are discussed.

Regardless of whether you are trying to preserve old home traditions that are dear to you or your husband, or are trying to come up with and instill in your family something new, you must remember that childhood shapes a child for life. Therefore, everything is good in moderation: too strict rules by which a family lives, which do not leave children any freedom, overstrain the child’s psyche. The absence of a stable home structure and predictable home rituals, which calm the baby with their indispensable obligation, conveys to the child a feeling of insecurity at home and the precariousness of the world around him.

It is also worth remembering that any rules are good if they make life better, and do not complicate it. Rigid traditions, even if they do not regulate everyday life, but only holidays or other joyful events, have a depressing effect on the child’s psyche. Some events in children's lives should simply be allowed to happen, and not forced into a scenario that you like. On the other hand, traditions based on positivity bring joy and happiness into the life of not only the child, but also each family member.

Be sure to invent and maintain your own positive family traditions.

May every day in your family be like a small holiday and may there always be good weather in your home!

Family celebrations

Family holidays are significant dates that are very important for a particular family. These days, relatives all get together.

Let's look at some examples of what days these could be.

Birthday is the most common holiday in this category. Since a family is a social unit consisting of several people, this event occurs much more often than others.
Anniversary - this holiday means the round date of some event: birthday, wedding, etc.
Mothers Day.
Father's Day.
Wedding anniversary.
Birth of a child.

The purpose of such holidays is to get together, sit at the same table, and communicate. Over the years, many relatives leave the family as a result of marriage, so this kind of event can unite and unite loved ones.

Personal holidays

Personal holidays include birthdays, wedding dates, dates of certain events (first kiss, first steps of a child, meeting date) and many others. Every family develops some traditions that turn into significant annual celebrations, which are then passed on from generation to generation.

This is not to say that these celebrations are not important, because for some people they may have more significance than those listed on the public calendar.