Do you know what is the favorite holiday of all members of the fairer sex in Russia is? Naturally, it is March 8, the International Women’s Day, when men lavish care and attention on all women and give them presents to get them in a good mood. (Though this is also the day of the International Women’s Day protest in Russia!) In this lesson, we’ll tell you exactly how this spring holiday is celebrated in Russia here at RussianPod101.com!

1. What is International Women’s Day in Russia?

International Women’s Day in Russia was celebrated for the first time on March 3, 1913. On March 8, 1917, striking workers and ordinary women took to the streets of Petrograd, marking in this way the actual start of the February revolution. In memory of that day, in 1921, the Soviet Union established the holiday of March 8 as an International Women’s Day. Since 1965, March 8 has been a non-working day as well.

2. When is International Women’s Day?

On March 8th, Women’s Day is celebrated throughout Russia as it is around the world.

3. Reading Practice: Women’s Day Celebrations

Read the Russian text below to find out about Women’s Day Russian traditions. You can find the English translation directly below it.

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В этот день все мужчины поздравляют женщин и дарят им подарки и цветы. При чем поздравлять можно не только своих любимых, но так же друзей, коллег, да и просто незнакомых женщин. 8 марта проходят различные мероприятия и концерты, а по телевидению традиционно показывают фильм “Служебный роман”. В качестве подарков дарят цветы, шоколад, ювелирные украшения и даже романтические поездки.

Так как 8 марта является выходным днём, то поздравлять и праздновать его начинают уже с 7 марта. На работе мужчины-коллеги поздравляют и дарят женщинам цветы, и, как правило, после работы накрывают небольшой праздничный стол. В некоторых компаниях даже устраивают корпоратив.

В России количество цветов в букете всегда должно быть нечетным. Четное количество цветов приносят только на похороны. Поэтому мужчинам следует быть очень внимательными, если они самостоятельно составляют букет.

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On this day, all men congratulate women and give them presents and flowers. Notably, congratulations can be given not only to your beloveds but also to friends, coworkers, and to unknown women as well. Many events and concerts take place on March 8, and the movie Office Romance (“Sluzhebny Roman”) is traditionally shown on TV. The presents can be flowers, chocolates, jewelry, and even romantic trips.

As March 8 is a non-working day, congratulations and celebrations begin as early as March 7. At the office, men congratulate their female coworkers and give them flowers; as a rule, after work, they lay a small festive table. Some companies even arrange a company party.

Bouquets in Russia should always be composed of an odd number of flowers. Even numbers of flowers are brought only to funerals. For that reason, men need to be very careful if they arrange a bouquet themselves.

4. Additional Information: Flowers

What kind of flowers do you think women are given most often on March 8?

The undisputed leaders among the flowers most commonly given on March 8 are tulips or roses. It has recently become popular to give live flowers in pots.

5. Must-know Vocab

Here’s some vocabulary you should know for International Women’s Day in Russia!

• Завтрак (zaftrak) — “Breakfast”
• Женщина (zhenschina) — “Woman”
• Мужчина (muschina) — “Man”
• Девушка (devushka) — “Girlfriend”
• Цветок (tsvetok) — “Flower”
• Конфета (konfeta) — “Candy”
• Коллега (kollega) — “Colleague”
• Подарок (podarok) — “Present”
• Девочка (devochka) — “Girl”
• Международный женский день (Mezhdunarodnyy zhenskiy den’) — “International Women’s Day”
• Восьмое марта (Vas’moye marta) — “March 8th”
• Букет (buket) — “Bouquet”
• Внимание (vnimaniye) — “Attention”

If you want to hear each vocabulary word pronounced, visit our Russian International Women’s Day vocabulary list. Here you’ll find each word accompanied by an audio with its pronunciation.

Conclusion

Now you know more about International Women’s Day in Russia. Does your country celebrate International Women’s Day as well, or a similar holiday that honors and celebrates women? Let us know in the comments!

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We hope you enjoyed learning about International Women’s Day in Russia with us! Know that all of your hard work and practice will pay off, and you’ll be speaking Russian like a pro before you know it! Until next time, we wish you much success!