Holidays January 5
Social Workers Day in Belarus
In accordance with the Decree of the President of Belarus issued in 1998, the fifth day of January is celebrated as an annual holiday.
The tasks performed by social services are versatile and extensive, and most importantly, much significant for the population. Social services provide assistance to the poor, control the process of assigning various kinds of social benefits and pensions, provide various services to single elderly citizens, and this is not a complete list of social services. The system of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection includes 156 existing territorial centers that provide social services to citizens. The number of people who are in these service centers has long exceeded the figure of one and a half million. Seventy-five thousand citizens are served at home, among them there are elderly and disabled people, there are also people who live in rural areas. An important role is played by the system operating in the territory of Belarus, thanks to this system, state assistance is provided to the population. Thanks to this system, the income of poor citizens is maintained. Also, social authorities carry out a number of systematic measures for the rehabilitation and adaptation of people with disabilities who need help. Over the past years, the government has taken drastic measures aimed at improving the marital status of citizens.
Guru Gobind Sinha's Birthday
This famous Guru was the tenth and last. His birthday is celebrated by the Sikhs. On this holiday, large processions are organized in Sikh temples, believers say special prayers. Gobinda Sinha was proclaimed a Guru when he was nine years old. His historical predecessor was his own father, Guru Tekh Bahadur. The guru, whose holiday is celebrated on this day, was fond of philosophy and wrote beautiful poems. Fame came to him when he created a militarized Sikh community, which was called - halsa. If the townspeople wanted to join this community, they had to pass special tests, which were very tough. In addition, the Guru introduced completely new clothes and rules of conduct. There was a book by Guru Granth Sahib, in which he recorded all his works. According to the records of this book, each Sikh was required to have five differences from other people, he should not have a haircut, he had to wear special underwear, he had to wear a steel bracelet on his wrist, always carry a dagger with him, and he should adorn the head of a real Sikh turban.
Holiday of Zervana-Karan
This is a Zoroastrian holiday, it will coincide in time with the Slavic Christmas time, and in meaning also resembles our Christmas time. In Zoroastrianism, all religious events are directly related to the cycles of nature, and are tied to the movement of the Sun in a zodiac circle. Holidays in this culture are tied to the position of the sun. Therefore, the holiday date may vary slightly one day forward or backward. According to the Zoroastrian calendar, the day of Zervan-Karan comes at the moment the sun enters at fifteen degrees of Capricorn. Zervan was called the God of time and fate. According to ancient myths, he was described as a bisexual creature. Zervan dreamed that he would have a son who would create the universe. But because of doubts whether sacrifices are needed, along with the first son, the second, which was the embodiment of evil, was born. The first son should have dominated the world. But it happened that the second son tore all the insides of the father-mother and was born first. When Zervan saw him, he was horrified by his appearance, he recognized his essence. The parent renounced his negligent offspring, but when the second beautiful son was born, Zervan was forced to give power over the world for thousands of years to his first son. When these millennia passed, the second son had to correct all the evil committed by the first son, and then rule the world happily. Thus, the course of the struggle between good and evil was determined in the world, and Zervan-Karan has since symbolized closed time. This holiday, the day of the final, closed time of the whole world. This is a day of emptiness, severity and silence, on this day it was necessary to try to talk less, not to drink water and food, to observe strict fasting right up to the sunset. Zervan’s day was considered a trap for evil, people thought that on this day through overcoming Evil there was an exit to an infinitely open time, which was called akaran. This exit was connected to a mirror corridor. To do this, they took two mirrors, placed opposite each other, in the reflection an endless corridor turned out. There, as all evil was thought and went, seeing itself in the reflection of the mirror.
Tucindan
This holiday is celebrated before Christmas in Serbia and Montenegro. If you translate the name of this holiday from the Serbian language, it sounds like "Day of the clouds." Tucindan is considered a religious holiday, but pagan features were preserved in the customs of its celebration, and this was not the case. The first Archbishop of Serbia, Savva, was to blame, he did not intentionally uproot pagan folk customs from this Orthodox holiday, so that converts to the faith would not be afraid, and in order to attract more parishioners to the Christian faith. This priest gradually but surely managed to convert the Balkan pagans to the Christian faith. He achieved incredible success, because he knew the traditional customs of the pagan faith and adapted them for the sake of a righteous cause. Since then, a lot of time has passed, but this holiday exists in our days. In honor of Tucindan, people set a rich festive table. And with pleasure they cook the traditional dish for this day, this is a milk pig or a little lamb. And if it was not possible to find piglets or lambs, on this holiday a whole goose was baked or a turkey was stuffed. There is another wonderful tradition on this day, it was forbidden to punish children. People believed that if someone punishes a child, then the child will continue to behave badly, until the next holiday.
January 5th in the folk calendar
Fedul, Nifont
Rev. Nifont lived his sacred life on the island of Cyprus, he was a bishop of Paflogon origin. During his studies in Constantinople with presbyter Peter, he discovered many wonderful qualities. Having grown up a little, he fell under the bad influence and began to lead a wild life. Thank God, he had one good friend, Nicodemus, he then admonished him. The young man began to pray earnestly, made a promise to devote his whole life to God, left a sinful world and went to a monastery in Constantinople. Evil spirits tried hard to bring him back to his former life, but the young man successfully fought with them, and they could not break him, faith turned out to be stronger. At an advanced age, Nofont came to Alexandria, where he became a bishop, people said that he was a zealous archbishop and peacefully introduced God to the soul, he lived in the fourth century. According to legend, the people call this day Nifont, Fedul. From ancient times Nifont was revered as an intercessor from the designs and obsessions of an unclean spirit. People pray to him, in the hope that he will drive the unclean spirit away from people and livestock. The peasants believed that it was this saint who would help them cope with evil spirits, because all his life this saint fought with unclean spirits and always defeated them with God's help. According to ancient tradition, the peasants baked cakes on this day and wrapped them in a canvas towel so that unclean forces could not lick them, after which people went to the stable. Such a cake was broken into pieces and fed pets. And poultry was given grain that day.
Historical events of January 5
1731 year street lamps appeared in Moscow
January 4, 1730, by decree of the Russian Senate, street lighting was organized in Moscow in winter. Soon, more than five hundred oily glass lanterns illuminated the central part of the city. The streets were lit from September to May, in the summer, the lights did not light. The project of lighting the streets of Moscow was funded from the city treasury, but the content of the lanterns fell on the shoulders of the townspeople. In the second half of the XVIII century, the number of lamps in the city grew to six and a half thousand. Not only the center of the capital was illuminated, but also the outskirts of the city. At the request of the townspeople, lights began to be lit in the summer. Most of the lamps were mounted on poles, some were nailed over the entrances of buildings. In 1880, the first lanterns with an electric lamp appeared in Moscow. The new type of lighting was immediately appreciated by Muscovites, firstly, electric lights were not smoked like oil lamps, and secondly, they gave a lot more light. In 1883, during the coronation of Alexander III, the square in front of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior was lit with electric lights. The townspeople were struck by an amazing light show, and after a magnificent celebration, thousands of Muscovites petitioned the city authorities to install electric lighting in their homes. However, the technical capabilities of that time did not allow the mass connection of the power network to subscribers. At the beginning of the 20th century, the first power station was built near Moscow, and Muscovites were able to connect to electric lighting.
1762 year Peter III ascended the Russian throne
on the fifth day of January 1762, Peter III ascended the Russian throne. The son of Karl Friedrich and Peter's daughter, Anna Petrovna, originally claimed the Swedish throne. Peter's mother, Anna, died when the boy was still small. When Peter was 11 years old, his father died. His aunt, Empress Elizaveta Petrovna, decided to take care of the orphan. She called on little Peter to the court and hastened to declare him heir to the Russian throne and future Emperor. From childhood, the boy grew up a nervous and impressionable child, on the one hand he showed interest in art, on the other, dreamed of a military career. In 1745, Empress Elizaveta Petrovna decided to marry Peter to the German princess Sofia, baptized in Orthodoxy, Catherine. Soon the young couple was born a child named Paul. For all his time in Russia, Peter never became a Russian person. This country was a stranger, a young prince, he did not like the Russian people, their language, religion and culture. Neglected church services and often behaved defiantly during their conduct. Peter pointedly wore the Prussian military uniform, and all the time he tried to belittle the honor and glory of the Russian army. Nobody loved him, neither the clergy, nor the army, nor the people. Even her aunt, Queen Elizabeth, doubted his ability to rule the state. After death, Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, the Tsarevich was proclaimed Emperor Peter III. Having gained power, Peter imagines himself a great statesman. He intended to carry out a series of radical transformations in the country. However, his aspirations and desires were not clearly formulated and were more declarative in nature. Not possessing sufficient mental abilities and not having a full secular education, the young Emperor could not really rule the country. The Tsar’s encirclement, which for the most part was oriented towards Prussian interests, took advantage of the Tsar’s insolvency and infantility. On behalf of the Emperor, the following, especially significant, decrees and manifestos were issued: "The manifesto on the liberty of the nobility", "Decree on the secularization of church lands", "Decree on the liquidation of the secret office." Peter declared freedom of religion and forbade the persecution of Old Believers. According to Peter, the Russian army also demanded profound transformations, which he wanted to carry out according to the Prussian model. In his personal life, the Emperor did not want to recognize his wife Catherine, and spent days and nights with his mistress Vorontsova, whom he wanted to marry, immediately after the divorce from Catherine. However, he will not have time to accomplish this. After his short and unsuccessful reign, a conspiracy will ripen against the Emperor, led by guards officers. The conspirators will remove Peter from power, and then kill. Empress Ekaterina Alekseevna will be enthroned, who in the future will receive the title Catherine the Great. She will rule Russia for more than thirty years and lead the country into great world powers.
1933 year in San Francisco began construction of the Golden Gate Bridge
on January 5, 1933, the grandiose construction of a suspension bridge over the Golden Gate Strait began. Since its opening, the bridge has become the world's most famous suspension structure. For San Francisco, the bridge is a distinctive hallmark of the city. Suspension bridges began to be built back in the 18th century, but they were very small and very simple in engineering. The Golden Gate Bridge is a new word in engineering science of that time, its size and complex design still amaze people with its grandeur. The construction of the bridge lasted more than four years; the bridge connected the city and the Marin district. In 1937, the bridge was open for pedestrians, and after twelve hours for transport. Until 1964, the San Francisco Bridge was the largest suspension bridge in the world. The bridge is almost 3 km long, the suspension span is 1280 m, the height in the center of the span is 66 m, the main pillars of the bridge have a colossal height and are 230 m. The bridge is recognized as a brilliant product of human engineering. Currently, there are many suspension bridges in the world that are larger than the Golden Gate Bridge in size, but all the other bridges are inferior to the San Francisco Bridge in beauty and fame.
1949 year Formed by CMEA
The Council for Mutual Economic Assistance was formed on January 5, 1949. The new economic union united the countries of the socialist camp under its flag. At the initial stage, the CMEA included: the USSR, Bulgaria, Poland, Hungary, East Germany, Romania, Czechoslovakia, Albania, Vietnam, Mongolia, Cuba. Yugoslavia and China refrained from joining the economic union. The main goal of the organization was mutually beneficial and open cooperation in the economic, scientific and technical field between the CMEA member countries. The headquarters of the organization was located in Moscow. The main coordinating body of the Council was the session. The direct management of the organization was carried out by the executive committee and the secretariat of the Council. The session determined the vectors of the Council’s activities, discussed issues related to the organization’s activities and included in its competence. Since 1960, the first secretary of the Central Committee, Nikita Khrushchev, demanded more active work from the CMEA. He also regarded this organization as an alternative and a counterweight to the European Economic Community. Since 1975, CMEA has established stable ties with thirty international organizations. The international community recognized the significant status of the organization. The CMEA leadership was invited to become a permanent observer at the UN. With the help of the CMEA of the country, participants in the organization could carry out large socio-economic projects. Mostly barter relations were operating inside the organization, planned economic measures were coordinated. Globally, the CMEA countries covered one third of industrial production. In 1991, the organization ceased operations.
1968 year Prague spring
In 1968, in Czechoslovakia, the liberal reformer Alexander Dubcek came to power.His mission he saw the implementation of liberal socio-economic reforms, without a radical change in the political course of the country. In fact, Dubcek sought to soften somewhat the political and economic regime that was characteristic of most countries of the Soviet bloc. The first steps of the new general secretary were: weakening of censorship, freedom of speech, freedom of peaceful assembly, weakening of control over the movement of citizens, strict control of the activities of special services, reduction of state pressure on enterprises, a simplified procedure for opening a private enterprise. In foreign policy, Dubcek formally maintained his loyalty to the USSR, but in fact he intended to pursue an international strategy without regard to the Soviet Union. He rightly believed that Czechoslovakia could exist without the patronage of the USSR. Part of the nomenclature elite of Czechoslovakia did not support Dubcek’s reforms and sharply criticized his actions. The Soviet leadership, annoyed by Dubcek’s unwillingness to follow the USSR’s decision, decided to put an end to the “Prague Spring” by force. In August 1968, troops of the Warsaw Pact members invaded Czechoslovakia. A huge military contingent, 300 thousand soldiers and 7 thousand tanks were thrown to suppress the "rebellion". The Czechoslovak army, according to the order of the country's leadership, did not resist the troops of the Warsaw Pact members. Facing the threat of political and military disaster, Dubcek renounced power.
Born on January 5
Conrad Adenauer (1876-1967), First Chancellor of Germany
The future Federal Chancellor was born on January 5, 1876, in Cologne. When he graduated from university, he became a lawyer. Subsequently, he devoted himself to politics. In 1917 he was elected burgomaster of Cologne. In 1926, Adenauer ran for Chancellor, but lost the election. When Hitler came to power in Germany, Adenauer resigned in protest against Nazi policies. For opposition views, the Gestapo has repeatedly arrested him. After the war, Adenauer with his associates founds the party, the Christian Democratic Union. At the head of the party list, he goes to the polls and wins them. Soon he was elected Federal Chancellor of Germany, he held this post from 1949 to 1963. Under the leadership of Adenauer, post-war Germany literally rose from the ashes. His deep socio-economic reforms and transformations allowed the Federal Republic of Germany to fully recover from the war and become a leading European power. Contrary to the wishes of the international community, the Chancellor again managed to create new armed forces in Germany. As they say later, Adenauer created the German miracle of rebirth. In foreign policy, the Chancellor maintained friendly relations with Western countries, and with the countries of the socialist bloc. In the reign of Adenauer, Germany became a member of NATO. Konrad Adenauer is one of the few rulers whom the people sincerely and faithfully loved. He, as a true democrat, did not cling to power to the last, but resigned with dignity, due to his advanced age.
Raisa Gorbacheva (1932-1999), wife of Mikhail Gorbachev
Raisa Titarenko was born on the fifth of January in 1932 in Siberia in a family of railway workers. She spent her childhood in the Urals. She graduated from school with a gold medal. After which, without exams, she entered Moscow State University to study at the Faculty of Philosophy. At the university she met with Mikhail Gorbachev. In 1953, young people got married, and Raisa became Gorbacheva. Upon graduation, she planned to enter graduate school, but left with her husband in the Stavropol Territory, where they assigned young Mikhail. In Stavropol, she was engaged in teaching activities in the All-Russian society "Knowledge", wrote a dissertation. In 1978, the Gorbachevs returned to Moscow. Here, Raisa teaches at Moscow State University and continues to work in the Knowledge Society. In 1985, the husband of Mikhail Gorbachev was elected General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party. Raisa Maximovna becomes the "first lady" of the Soviet state. During this period, Raisa Gorbacheva founded the cultural fund and is on its podium. As the wife of the head of state, Raisa Maksimovna travels a lot around the country and around the world. At home, Raisa Maksimovna also takes part in all government events and receives foreign guests.
Silva Kaputikyan (1919-2006), Armenian poetess
Silva was born on January 5, 1919 in Armenia. She did not see her father, since he died before the birth of his daughter. The girl was raised by mom and grandmother. Already in childhood, Silva began to write poetry, her quatrains received children's newspapers and magazines. In the future, the young poetess began to be invited to various competitions and contests, in which she often won. Her first collection was published in 1945, in which Silva devoted poetry to her Soviet homeland, poems about love, about her son, and about war also entered there. Soon, Silva was invited to Moscow for the All-Union gathering of young writers. For her long, creative life, the poetess has been awarded numerous prestigious awards and prizes. She is an Honored Worker of Culture of Armenia, Honored Worker of Culture of Georgia, awarded the Order of St. Mesrop Mashtots, Princess Olga and other awards. Silva is the author of 60 books, her works have been translated into different languages of the peoples of the former USSR. The works of Silva Kaputikyan are permeated with deep feelings and emotions. According to her poems, it becomes clear that they were written by a real and strong woman. In the 60-70s, the work of Silva Kaputikyan was at the peak of fame, her poems were so popular that in schools and universities with their help, young people expressed their feelings to each other.
Thomas Nuttall (1786-1859), English biologist
Born 01/05/1786 in England, in a scientific family. From his youth, he showed interest in natural sciences and travel. In 1810, Thomas made his first big trip to the American Great Lakes. A year later, he already travels along the Missouri River. On this trip, Thomas is accompanied by the famous botanist John Bradbury, together they collect a collection of plants growing on the American continent. However, as a result of the difficulties encountered during the campaign, many botanical specimens were lost. Soon, the Anglo-American War began in the New World, and Thomas was forced to return to his homeland. At home, he began to disassemble and classify the collection he collected. In 1815, Thomas again traveled to the United States, where he traveled extensively around the country and collected new unique plants. In 1818, he published an atlas about plants in North America. For his work, Thomas is appointed administrator of the University of Harvard Botanical Garden. In 834, Thomas throws everything and leaves with an expedition to the United States. There, he explores several states in detail and soon visits the Hawaiian Islands. After the trip, he publishes a number of prints and plant atlases. The work done by Thomas made it possible to discover many species of hitherto unknown plants. The scientist laid a solid foundation in the development of biological sciences.
Nicolas de Stael (1914-1955), French artist
Nicolas was born on January 5, 1914 in St. Petersburg. After the revolution, the Nicolas family emigrated to Europe. Orphaned early, was adopted with his sisters. Foster parents gave the boy a first-class education, which allowed him to easily enter the Royal Academy of Arts. From his youth, Nicolas developed his own individual style of writing. His canvases are immediately recognized among admirers of fine art. His works are abstract in nature, but you can see objects and people in them. With his work he traveled all over Europe. In 1936, he presented his first exhibition of works and immediately received recognition from fans of the letter. In the 40s, the artist was fond of expressive abstractionism and combines it with figurativeness. In the 50s, his name became widely popular in Europe and the American continent. Many works of the author are written in the style of Byzantine iconography. Nicolas independently synthesizes an expressive non-figurative manner. In Europe and in the world is recognized as the largest artist of the post-war period. Over his entire creative life, the master has created more than a thousand paintings. Many of his works are the golden fund of museums and private collections.
January 5th
Basil, Ivan, Paul, David, Anna, Eve
