Today, 23 August, the world marks the International Day for the Remembrance of the Victims of the Slave Trade and its Abolition and the European Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Stalinism and Nazism. Ukraine celebrates the Day of the National Flag of Ukraine. Orthodox Christians are celebrating the Feast of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary today, Komersant ukrainskyi
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The Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
on 23 August, Orthodox Christians celebrate the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The history of this holiday is connected with the events when her parents brought three-year-old Mary to the Jerusalem church. On the stairs, the girl was met by the father of John the Baptist, who took her by the hand and led her up the high stairs to the most sacred place in the temple. These stairs became a symbol of her path to her vocation.
This day is considered the last day of the holiday, which is celebrated for several days in a row, but this does not diminish its importance. Churches hold special services, and people are given another opportunity to rethink their lives and turn their faces to God. The feast allows you to feel again the joy that illuminates a person within the walls of the church during the festive liturgy.
On this day, one should not organise noisy entertainment events, clean the house, sew or wash clothes. Church marriages are also prohibited.
National Flag Day of Ukraine
23 August is the National Flag Day of Ukraine.
The national flag of Ukraine is a banner made up of two equal horizontal stripes of blue and yellow with a flag width to length ratio of 2:3.
The Ukrainian national tradition of symbolic representation of the world has been formed over several millennia. The use of yellow and blue (with different shades) on the flags of Ukraine-Rus can be traced back to the adoption of Christianity. Later, these two colours became the national colours.
The symbols of Ukraine in the newest interpretation are the cloudless sky as a symbol of peace – blue – and ripe wheat fields as a symbol of prosperity – yellow.
On the National Flag Day, it is customary to raise the national flag throughout Ukraine. On this day, the national flag is raised on all government buildings, and citizens place flags on the windows of their homes. Ukrainian flags are also raised abroad.
In connection with the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia, martial law was declared in Ukraine on 24 February 2024. At the same time, the current labour legislation of Ukraine provides for the cancellation of additional days off for public holidays.
Thus, during the martial law period, all public holidays are working days. Therefore, the National Flag Day will also be a working day.
European Day of Remembrance for the Victims of Stalinism and Nazism
Every year on 23 August, Europe and Ukraine, along with other countries, mark the Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Stalinism and Nazism.
on 23 August 1939, the Soviet Union and Germany became conspirators and signed a Non-Aggression Pact. The totalitarian regimes pushed the world into a bloody military conflict. According to the pact, both states promised not to intervene in the event of a military conflict with a third party. In addition, the treaty contained secret provisions regarding the division of Eastern Europe into the sphere of German and Soviet interests.
The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact is regarded as a crime against peace and humanity, which has already been strongly condemned by the European Parliament.
In 2009, the organisation proposed to celebrate the Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Stalinism and Nazism on 23 August.
International Day for the Remembrance of the Victims of the Slave Trade and its Abolition
It is celebrated on the recommendation of the 150th session of UNESCO’s Executive Board on the day of the 1791 San Domingo and Haiti slave uprising, which marked the beginning of the process of abolishing slavery.
Despite the fact that slavery was abolished and condemned internationally, it still exists in new forms and affects millions of people around the world today. According to the UN, every year, millions of people, mostly women and children, are deceived and abused, turned into “human commodities” and exploited.
the “new slave trade” has become one of the most acute and widespread problems of our time.
Internet Research Day
Internet Researchers’ Day (Internaut Day) is celebrated on 23 August, marking the anniversary of the creation of the World Wide Web. The term “Internaut” is a hybrid of the words “Internet” and “astronaut”, which means researchers of the vast and ever-expanding digital universe. This day is dedicated to Internet users, recognising their role in shaping the digital world we know today.
The World Wide Web was developed by British computer scientist Sir Tim Berners-Lee in 1989 while working at CERN, the European Physical Research Centre.
However, it was not until 23 August 1991 that the network was opened to the public, allowing people outside the scientific community to access it and contribute to its development.
Low-cost airfare day
Usually celebrated on 23 August each year, Cheap Flight Day is a day when airfares are said to be significantly reduced.
Cheap Flight Day was created based on statistics that showed that on 23 August, airfares drop due to the end of the peak summer season and the beginning of the autumn season. As demand for air travel decreases as children return to school and adults return to work after summer holidays, airlines often cut prices to encourage bookings.
Many airlines use this day to launch special promotions and discounts to attract more customers.
This day has become popular among travellers looking for bargains and planning their future trips in advance.