Holidays December 21
Birthday of Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin
Joseph Dzhugashvili, 1879 - 1953, Secretary General of the CPSU, Generalissimo, Head of the Soviet State. After the death of the leader of the world proletariat Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin became the permanent leader of the party and the Soviet country. History ambiguously evaluates its activities. During the Soviet era, a halo of the hero and father of all nations was created around his name by propaganda. Stalin became the idol and idol of millions of people, and during the years of World War II, with his name, soldiers went into battle with the Nazis on his lips, and ordinary Soviet people stood at the rear of the machine tools. No one can deny the development of the country's industrialization. He was buried near the Kremlin wall, his body was taken out of Lenin's mausoleum after Stalin’s personality cult was exposed by Stalin’s enemies and detractors.
Day of pagan worship of Karachun, the Slavic deity of death
Karachun forced time to go in the opposite direction, this was expressed in the fact that the day was getting shorter, giving way to night time. His second name is Chernobog. December 21 is the shortest day of the year, and the coldest, since the formidable Karachun seizes power. He commands frosts, lives underground, manages spirits, reduces the day and increases the night. Turning into snowstorms and blizzards, Chernobog is served by connecting rod bears and wolves. On his behalf, the words "punish" formed, "hastened."
St. Thomas Day in Holland
On the shortest day of the year and the darkest winter day, the feast of St. Thomas is celebrated. On this day, all people are afraid to be late so as not to be teased by "sleepy Thomas." School students, arriving at school early, write their name on the blackboard to find the last person who came to school, who is called "sleepy Thomas" all day. And the teacher cannot be late today at all, so as not to give the students a chance to laugh at themselves. Today's longest night of the year is called the “Two Bread Night”, since during this time you can bake a double baking dish. Also today, baked Christmas bread in the form of a star.
Dongzhi Festival in China - Winter Solstice
After the winter solstice, days begin to increase. Ancient China connects the cycles of the male power of nature with this, so the longest night of the year is considered to be the happiest. The emperors of China make sacrifices to Heaven, and the common people to their ancestors. As a sacrifice involved rice balls of flour. In Taiwan, a nine-layer cake is traditionally donated to ancestors. Figurines of animals are made from rice flour. It is believed that turtles, pigs, cows, sheep and other animals bring happiness.
Folk calendar December 21
Memorial Day Anfisa of Rome (needlewomen)
Anfisa, who lived in the 5th century, suffered for her faith. She professed Christianity and denied Arian baptism, which does not recognize the unity of God the Father and Jesus Christ. According to the slander of the enemies, she was burned at the stake. At Anfisa, all the girls were engaged in needlework, preparing a dowry - weaving, sewing, embroidering, spinning. They did it alone. According to the rite of corruption, they tied the wrist with silk thread so as not to prick the finger. This thread also protects against hiccups and yawns. Embroidery itself has magical powers. For example, round rosettes and crosses protect the owner from misfortunes. The vitality of nature was indicated by images of the sun and birds. These images brought prosperity and prosperity to the house.
Memorable Historical Events December 21
December 21, 1192 - Richard the Lionheart was taken prisoner with a ransom demand
The Crusade plans engendered conflicts between Richard the Lionheart and Duke Leopold V of Austria. They could not decide who would lead the campaign, and also divide the island of Cyprus into spheres of influence. In the midst of the battles of the crusaders with the Egyptian army, Leopold V and the king of France, Philip II Augustus, left the camp and returned home. Richard continued the fighting, but could not win the Christian shrines from the Muslims. Concluded in 1192, the peace with the Gentiles made him recognize the king of Jerusalem, considered Christian, his ally Konrad of Monferrat. Subsequently, Leopold V captured Richard himself and requested a huge ransom for him. Huge compensation was collected and paid, and the Lionheart was freed.
December 21, 1610 - the murder of the impostor False Demetrius II, a contender for the Russian throne
Before the first impostor False Dmitry 1 perished in the Polish-Lithuanian state, False Dmitry 2 appears, whose real name and origin is unknown. Around him 3000 people united, and the army defeated the troops of the legitimate ruler Vasily Shuisky. The composition of the army was variegated and diverse - adventurers, Ukrainian Cossacks, South Russian nobles, the remnants of the army of Ivan Bolotnikov. A year later, 7,000 Poles and Cossacks joined them, then the Tatar detachments of the khan of Uraz-Magomet and the converted Christian Prince Peter Urusov. False Dmitry 2 could not take Moscow, his baton was picked up by the king of Poland Sigismund III. The cause of the death of False Dmitry was a feud with Uraz -Magomet. By order of False Dmitry, the khan was executed. In response, Peter Urusov hacked an impostor with a saber.
December 21, 1891 - passed the 1st basketball game in history
This exciting game was invented by physical education teacher James Naismith. The initial 13 points of the rules are valid today. Interestingly, the training ball was thrown into empty boxes, but once, not finding the boxes, the guard brought baskets from under peaches. They were attached to a balcony a little over 3 meters high. After some time, the baskets were replaced by rings with nets. Soon, national teams and federations began to actively create, the rules of basketball were officially approved. In 1923, the first tournament among women's teams was held.
December 21, 1899 - the first issue of the illustrated magazine "Spark" was published
A major Petersburg publisher, S. Propper, was publishing the Birzhevye Vedomosti newspaper at that time. The magazine "Spark" became an appendix to the newspaper and existed in this capacity for three years. Then he became an independent publication. Photo stories occupied a third of the magazine, and its total size was 8 pages. There was a break in the work of the magazine during the revolutionary events and the Civil War, and already in the USSR its circulation grew to half a million copies. During the years of perestroika, the editorial staff was headed by Vitaliy Korotich. This time was the most significant for Ogonyok. Recently, the format of the magazine is close to the most popular Western magazines, but it also preserves the traditions of the past.
December 21, 1991 - the formation of the CIS, the signing by the presidents of the five countries of the corresponding statement
This happened in Turkmenistan at a meeting of the presidents of Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. All countries agreed to cooperate on an equal footing; all states were recognized as founders of the CIS. The goals and principles of the CIS were set out a little later in the decisions of the Alma-Ata Conference. Already 11 states participated in it. Coordinating institutions must operate on a parity basis; the community itself is not a state. Joint control over nuclear weapons remained. The Union of CIS States was not able to function in full force.
Born on December 21
Robert Brown (1773 - 1858), the famous Scottish nerd
On an expedition to the shores of Australia, Brown collects a rich collection of plants and minerals (about 4,000 species). Several years of researching the collection gave him a wealth of material for writing books and research papers. He practically created the science of phytogeography. Several discoveries of Brown are known in botany and physics, the main ones being the “Brownian motion” and the discovery of the nucleus of a plant cell. He was also the curator of the London Botanical Museum and president of the Carl Linnaeus Society.
Jack rackham (1682 - 1720 years), the pirate who created the Jolly Roger flag
He got his nickname Chintz Jack for his addiction to calico pants from Calcutta fabric. At the beginning of his pirate career, he lost two ships, and went ashore with a patrol, but Governor Rogers freed him under an amnesty. Unaccustomed to a law-abiding life, Rackham returned to the fishery. His team had a real sensation: two female pirates dressed as men. The indecent rules of men were carried out by women for several years, which shocked the public. Later, the ship was captured and taken to Jamaica, where Calico Jack was hanged.
Heinrich Theodor Böll (1917 - 1985), German writer
It is known that in his youth Theodore Belle, one of the few, refused to join the Hitler Youth organization. During World War II, he fought on several fronts, then surrendered to American troops. He began to write novels, short stories and novels after the end of the war, being already in adulthood. This is the most widely read German contemporary writer of the 20th century; his works have been translated into many languages of the world. In 1972, he received the Nobel Prize in Literature. His works: “Billiards at half past nine,” “Group portrait with a lady,” “Eyes of the Clown,” and many others.
Vsevolod Vitalievich Vishnevsky (1900 - 1951), Russian Soviet writer. His plays: “The First Horse”, “We are from Kronstadt”, “Optimistic tragedy”. He worked on television on the epic "War", was the editor of the magazine "Banner".
Jane Fonda (1937), dramatic and erotic actress, author of a fitness course in aerobics, hostess of a network of fitness clubs in America.
Augusto Monterosso (1921-2003), a Spanish and Mexican writer in the genre of micronella notes, excerpt, aphorism.
Frank Vincent Zappa (1940 - 1993), American musician, organizer of the rock band The Mothers of Inventions. In memory of his father, in his son, Dweezil Zappa organized the group Zappa Plays Zappa, the members of which were musicians from his father's group.
Konstantin Konstantinovich (Ksaverievich) Rokossovsky (1896 - 1968), Marshal of the Soviet Union, commander of the Volokolamsk direction near Moscow and later the Stalingrad Front during the years of World War II. In 1945, it was he who commanded the victory parade on Red Square.
On this day, Anfisa and Cyril celebrate.
