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March 8th - Women’s Most Special Day
By Tetyana Bykova
The 8th of March in Ukraine is often associated with spring. Ukrainian women especially think of this day as a sign that the spring is coming. Why? Because besides being the first spring celebration, this is International Women’s Day, the day when we women are specially treated just for being women. From the historical point of view, the 8th of March is important as the day of women’s solidarity in the struggle for their rights.
History
It was not gifts or even attention that the women of New York demanded in March 1857 when they marched in the streets. They demanded basic rights, including better conditions for work and to shorten the working day. As a result, the trade union was created, and women finally could become trade union members.
In 1910 there was an international conference of socialist women held in Copenhagen, and that is when Clara Zetkin (the wife of Russian socialist Ocip Zetkin) suggested setting up the /Day of Solidarity of Working Women of the World/ as a contribution to democracy and equalization of rights with the men. On the 8^th of March, 1917, women’s demonstrations in tsarist Russia resulted in the tsar’s edict giving women the right to vote. And at last, 1975 became a year when the United Nations declared the 8^th of March as /International Women’s Day/ for women’s rights.
However, today the celebration has lost its political nuance, at least in Ukraine, and as mentioned above, is mostly a celebration of the vernal season.
The 8th of March today
Although women look forward to this day, at the same time many women are rather skeptical about this celebration. They would say, “Why is it the only day we should be treated in a special way? Why not everyday?” I read some sarcastic comments that the 8th of March is the “Day of Men’s Hypocrisy.” Women are treated wonderfully, but this is one of those rare days when they are happy.
Well, this is the pattern that I admit exists in some families. But I am sure this mostly depends on the relationships and not on the date in the calendar. Though I would agree with those women in the point that, yes, it is great that we actually did receive at last our rights some day in the past, because we are equal physically and mentally with men from the very beginning of the Universe, and so we are naturally meant to have the same rights.
Holiday Rush
For many women in Ukraine this day is as significant as Valentine’s, New Year or their birthdays. Thus, as it used to be, before the celebration the home must be cleaned so that we can enjoy everything clean and in order. What can be better than cleaning the house for your beloved who actually performs this task all year long? This is how _she_ thinks. But how do you suppose he thinks? Many men seem to think that his help in the house means lifting his feet up from the floor when the woman is cleaning. Hmm, it would be interesting to hear how many of you readers think so. Of course, I want to believe this is just a joke. Am I right or naïve?
Talking about cleaning the house, I remembered a story I read in one of the women’s magazines about Sasha (let us name him Sasha - a popular name in Ukraine) telling his wife: “Dear, according to statistics, the most thankless and time-consuming work in a family is cooking and bringing children up, then washing and ironing, then shopping for groceries, and only then cleaning the house. So you my darling can clean the house and let me do the harder work. Hey son, come on get ready! Mummy is sending us to the cinema!”
Gifts
When the problem of who is in charge for cleaning has been solved, it’s time to think about gifts!
They say that a quarter of women dream of jewelry for this day. Some men in Ukraine may think that a new washing machine or a fridge is a better gift. The matter is that their image of a Ukrainian woman is often a woman cleaning, cooking, bringing up children - to use the scientific term, she is classified as /homo housemaid/. Thus the gifts are often considered in accordance with this image.
But Ukrainian men should not forget that cleaning and washing is hardly a favorite pastime for our women. And such a “gift” can say: “Darling, here are your instruments and tools so now you can clean and wash and whatever from morning to night!” Such domestic “gifts” do not say: “My dear, I wish you happy Women’s Day!” Yet by presenting such a gift, many men apparently think that she must be happy!
True, it might make the cleaning and whatever in the house much easier, but it certainly won’t let her feel the way she must feel on this day. After all, historically, this is the day when women gained, among the rest, a shorter working day. So such a gift, reminding her of work, can hardly be the “just what I want” kind of gift for the 8^th . And by the way, 15 percent of men please their beloved with perfumes; so which type of gift do you think makes the lady happier?
Now, would you like to make up your minds about the best gift for her before I make my conclusion? Be careful! You might do well to read on before making a decision.
What Women Want
Almost all women like flowers, and most men know this. The men who do not present flowers on March 8 do not necessary dislike flowers; they just want to be different from others. Statistics shows that 45 percent of the male population considers flowers the best gift. Personally I do not mind, because it’s a spring celebration, and spring is the time of nature waking up after winter. Blossoming flowers are one of the first signs of spring.
In Ukraine a woman, especially a woman in love, is associated with spring - Lady Spring. So whatever you present it is important that she feels this way - to be in love, to be loved and appreciated. It should not necessarily be a huge or significant thing. The gift itself is not that important - it is the attention that matters. Just think what she needs to feel that way and what you can do to make it happen. There is nobody else who knows her better than you. Arrange this special day so that she can feel the spring’s breath and fresh air on her face like she feels opening the window into the blossoming world. The important thing is to make the spring blossom in her heart.
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