Holidays January 8
Ginaikratia, greek women festival
In Greece, as in many countries, there is a holiday dedicated to women. In Russia, Women's Day falls on the eighth of March, and in Greece on the eighth of January, and this holiday is called Ginaikratiya. If we take an interest in the origin of this Greek holiday, we learn that it has a slightly different meaning than just celebrating the female half. On the eighth of January, the cities of Nea Petra, Monoclysia and many rural areas of the northern part of Greece celebrate a colorful festival called Ginaikratia and is dedicated to women. On this significant day, women and men exchange their family responsibilities and rights. Women are freed from family worries, and they spend their holiday as they see fit. Beautiful ladies usually relax on this day in a cafe or in other entertainment venues, and in everyday life only men can go there. And men at this time are at home, watching over children and doing housework. In modern days, this holiday has become more like a tradition than a festival. The holiday emphasizes the dominant role of women, it is not in vain that the people call the holiday "Matriarchy Festival". Only once, having visited Greece, tourists take away from Greece in their hearts a piece of culture that cannot but admire with its color.
January 8 in the folk calendar
Baby porridge
By tradition, midwives are honored on this day. They were given gifts, treats, vodka and pancakes. Often people take their children with them to receive blessings from grandmothers. By tradition, all women who were preparing to become a mother and all young girls simply had to go to grandmothers that day. After some time, this day in the Orthodox Church became a feast of the icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary. There is a saying that the midwife is considered to be relatives to all residents of the village. Be sure to invite the grandmother to the midwife for all births, she rendered indispensable assistance to the woman giving birth, about the midwife they said that she was with her hands. She knew the old customs very well and approached her business with great responsibility. If childbirth was painful and prolonged, they drowned the bathhouse, and a woman in labor was hauled out to the sun. The whole process was accompanied by kind words, various soothing herbs, and of course prayers. The birch torch and wormwood were ignited, mixed with an immortelle, and a woman in labor was fumigated with this composition, the midwife prayed and asked that the birth be easy. In the evening, children gathered near their mother, who taught them to glorify Christmas. When the festive hour came, the children were given a piece of cake, and cranberries with honey. But the children should have earned this treat. According to custom, they put up a special box for the kids, put cookies and other gifts in it. Over time, the box became heavy, and all the slavillers went to the flooded bathhouse, where this treat was shared equally. And everyone was really happy.
Historical events of January 8
January 8, 1851 French physicist Jean Bernard Leon Foucault discovered the rotation of the Earth
In January 1851, the outstanding French physicist and astronomer Jean Bernard, using the device he designed, proved the phenomenon of the Earth's rotation around its axis. The device, designed by Bernard, consisted of a brass ball weighing 5 kg, which was suspended on a steel wire from the ceiling. Rocking the ball, Jean was able to observe the rotation of the swing plane and determine its degree. After analyzing his experience, Bernard concluded that the phenomenon he observed was nothing more than proof of the rotation of the Earth. The experiment was carried out at night and recorded in a journal by a scientist. And in February of that year, Bernard presented his experience at the Paris Observatory, where prominent scientists were invited. The device with which the scientist did his experiment will later be called the Foucault pendulum. The pendulum was also installed in the Paris Pantheon, where it looked like a metal ball weighing 28 kg, a point was attached to the ball on a steel cable 67 m long. Such a fastening made it possible for the pendulum to oscillate in any shape. Under the ball was built a circular fence with a diameter of 6 meters. A path of sand was poured along the edge of the fence. This was necessary so that the pendulum, when moving and crossing the sand path, could put marks on the sand. In order to avoid lateral shocks when starting up the device, the pendulum was taken to the side and tied with a rope and burned during startup. The oscillation time of the pendulum with such a cable length was 16.4 seconds. In Russia, the Foucault pendulum was installed in St. Isaac's Cathedral, in St. Petersburg, and launched in April 1931.
January 8, 1861 in St. Petersburg, a new magazine "Around the World"
On January 8, the magazine Around the World was first published in St. Petersburg. This edition became the first cognitive magazine in the world. Since then, the publication has been released annually with only a few interruptions. From 1918 to 1927 and from 1941 to 1945, the publication was not printed. But, despite its long and complex history, the publication has maintained continuity, like a magazine about fascinating travels and great discoveries. Nowadays, the circulation of the magazine is 250,000 copies. The publication is distributed both by subscription and in the retail network, in addition, many countries traditionally order a magazine for their subscribers. In 2004, the publication took third place in terms of readership among glossy magazines. The magazine "Around the World" publishes articles on a wide variety of topics, but all of them still affect the main principle of the magazine - travel. On the pages of the publication you can see stories about prominent people of different eras, learn about important historical events and about scientific discoveries and achievements. The magazine is lively filled with photo reports and articles about the countries of the world, travel guides and all kinds of background information. All materials published in the journal are competently submitted by highly qualified editorial correspondents. Also in the publication, both famous and novice poets and writers are almost constantly printed.
January 8, 1709 Bruce calendar published
Jacob Bruce was an associate and like-minded person of Tsar Peter I. A man of deep erudition, a skilled politician and a talented military leader. Using his wide knowledge in various scientific disciplines, Bruce compiled a calendar called Christian or universal. January 8, 1709, the calendar was first published in Moscow. The calendar contained information about the time of sunrise and sunset, included the days of religious holidays, information about astrology and astronomy. The calendar also included a brief geographical reference. The publication was printed on 6 sheets of large format. A kind of reference calendar was very popular and was especially in demand by landowners. The people called the calendar "Bruce calendar" in honor of the author of the document. In the reign of Empress Elizabeth, the document is substantially revised and supplemented. At this time, large geographies and private predictions appear on the calendar, and the document itself is published in the form of a book. With the help of the calendar it was possible to set the timing of planting and harvesting, to predict the weather and natural dashing. At the same time, astrological forecasts and predictions are printed on the calendar. During the reign of Catherine the Great, the calendar became a voluminous reference and entertainment publication, in which even private announcements were printed.
January 8, 1957 Bobby Fisher became the youngest chess champion
Fisher, an outstanding chess player of the 20th century. Fischer’s chess talent manifested itself as a child, and at 13, Bobby became the U.S. chess champion among juniors. And on January 8, 1957, he became the youngest champion of the United States. A year later, Fisher becomes the youngest grandmaster in the history of the chess game. In those years, Fisher was a constant center of attention, not only as the winner of chess matches, but also as an adventurous populist. His sarcastic statements about the pointlessness of studying at school and about stupid teachers were warmly supported by schoolchildren and were ironically received by journalists and the public. In addition, Bobby self-confidently declared his readiness to easily beat the Soviet chess players. But the “beat” of the Russian grandmasters was not so simple, for this Fisher took 15 years. And in 1972 he won the match against the Soviet chess player Boris Spassky and became the only American to receive this title. Regular scandals became Fisher's constant companion. Either he demands something, then he is not satisfied with something, and if his conditions are not met, he uncompromisingly interrupted the competition and left for home. It is known that Fisher for a long time visited one of the religious sects, as a result of which, his ideas and beliefs were not entirely clear to those around him. He was panicky afraid of failures and losses. However, in life, his defeats can be counted on the fingers. An interesting book has been published about Bobby, "How Bobby Fisher was defeated".
Born on January 8
Marina Neyolova (1947), theater and film actress
Marina was lucky to be born in Leningrad. The family of the future actress was far from theater and cinema. Mother, as a student, went to the front as a volunteer, the whole war was a radio operator, took part in the most fierce battles. Therefore, she did not receive a higher education. When Marina was born, the mother fully devoted herself to raising her daughter. Marina's parents instilled in her a love of art from early childhood, attended the whole family concerts and performances. The father of the future actress, introduced her to painting, hanging his drawings on the walls. Marina studied ballet, her mother constantly took her to classes when she was still a child. Marina's love of ballet has been preserved for life. But always the main thing for the girl was the theater. Marina said that she had never imagined herself to be anyone other than an artist. Marina studied at the Leningrad Institute of the Theater of Music and Cinematography, and proved to be a promising actress. After graduating, the girl worked in the state of Lenfilm, where she, studying in the 3rd year, starred in her first movie. In 1971, Marina left for Moscow, worked at the Mossovet Theater, under the direction of Zavadsky. Then she was invited to the Sovremennik Theater, where she played a major role in the play. Meanwhile, Marina continued to act in films. She had a fragile delicate appearance, Marina played romantic fairy-tale heroines, and also played dramatic roles with success. For their brilliantly played roles, Marina was often awarded various awards and prizes. Marina Neyolova Honored and People's Artist of the RSFSR.
Galina Ulanova (1910-1998), the great Russian ballerina
Galina Ulanova became legendary during her lifetime. She became a symbol and icon of ballet. Her dance is mystery, understatement and deepness in her own world. Perhaps there is not a single person who has not heard this legendary name. Galina Sergeevna was born on January 8, 1910 in St. Petersburg. She graduated from the Leningrad School of Choreography and was immediately accepted into the troupe of the Mariinsky Theater, and later moved to serve at the Bolshoi Theater. In this theater, the great ballerina played her most striking roles: Maria in the Bakhchisarai Fountain, Giselle in the ballet Cinderella, and Juliet in the production of the same name. Over the years of work in the Bolshoi, Ulanova has become the hallmark of this ancient theater. Ulanova is one of the first ballerinas to go on tour in London. In the USSR, Galina Sergeevna was awarded almost all existing awards and prizes. The great dancer was also awarded by the governments of foreign countries. She was awarded the title of Honored Artist of the RSFSR and the USSR, as well as the People's Artist of the RSFSR and the USSR. Ulanova was awarded four Stalin Prizes. The ballerina left the scene in 1962. The museum of the great artist is operating in her Moscow apartment.
Elvis Presley (1935-1977), the legendary American singer
Elvis is a bright and ambiguous personality of the XX century. In America, he is called the king of rock and roll. Presley was born on January 8, 1935 in the United States, in a poor and religious family. Elvis began to sing in the church choir and at the age of ten already won his first prize for performing folk songs. At eleven, his parents gave the boy a guitar, and Elvis immediately felt that it was his instrument. His favorite styles were folk and black music. After school, the guy began to work as a truck driver, but continued to make music. The first suva songbook, Elvis recorded on the record, as a gift to his mother. A year later, he released his first album "That's all right" in an amount of 20,000 copies. The album was sold out in a matter of days. Elvis created a new musical style, country rock, essentially a combination of different musical cultures. His single "Heartbreak Hotel", released in 1956, brought Presley, worldwide fame, and sold millions of copies. This album was followed by no less vivid "Blue Suede Shoes" and "I want You, I Need You, I Love You". Elvis was an idol for millions of teenagers who imitated his clothes and behavior. In the 60s and 70s, Presley starred in films and conducts active concert activities. In the same years, he creates his own unique style of clothing, a white suit embroidered with gold and silver. The songs of the artist, even in our time, do not leave indifferent millions of people.
Tatyana Egorova (1944 ...), Russian actress
Tatyana Egorova was born on January 8, 1944. Upon graduation, she entered the Shchukin Theater School. In 1966 she was accepted into the troupe of the theater of satire, in which she worked almost all her life. During her thirty-year acting career, Yegorova played more than twenty roles in the theater, and there were also works in film and television. After leaving the theater, the actress took up literary work. She writes plays, essays and portrait essays. Leaving the theater, the actress said: "I can’t go to the theater anymore, say the same words every time, I probably grew out of the acting profession." Famous and at the same time scandalous was the book of the actress "Andrei Mironov and I". Mironov was the only beloved man in the life of the actress when he died in her arms, for Yegorova, as if the Sun had gone out. It will be many years before she can recover from such a blow. In the book, Egorova talks about his relationship with Andrei Mironov, as well as unflattering comments about some Soviet actors and political figures. For a long time, the artist was engaged in journalistic activities. Currently, the actress does not act in films at all and does not play in the theater at all, and she meets old age at home among her beloved relatives and friends.
January 8th
Anfisa, David, Efim, Constantine, Mary
