International Women's Day
As opposed to western secular holidays, the International Women's Day is primarily celebrated in Russia and the former Soviet countries such as Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and many others. It is also maintained in China due to its political ties with the former Soviet Union. The International Women's Day is celebrated on the 8th of March and is the major occasion for celebration of political, economic and other achievements of women in general. Although the day had political nature in the beginning, today it is mostly the day when men express their love, gratitude and devotion to their wives, girlfriends, mothers, grandmothers and so on. In a way this day is similar to both Mother's Day and St. Valentine's day in the western culture. This day is often called the Spring Day as it is the first holiday in March which is considered the first month of the spring season. In all countries of the former Soviet Union this day is considered to be the national holiday and a non-working day.
Since 1975 in connection with the International Women's Year the United Nations Organization announced the 8th of October the International Women's day. In 1977 the General Meeting of UNO proposed its member countries to announce any day of this year as the 'day of struggle for women's rights and international peace of the United Nations'. In former USSR the 8th of March was a national holiday and a non-working day since 1966 when the USSR Supreme Court Presidium adopted a corresponding decision.