“六一”系列1

Children's Day is a feast for every child!

I always thought that the International Children's Day was introduced by the United Nations - since it was always called "international" - but in reality the United Nations proclaimed not the June but the November 20th as the Universal Children's Day - by the resolution of the national assembly in 1954. November 20th - is devoted¹ to promoting the welfare of the children of the world.

The International Children's Day has been introduced in Poland in the early fifties of XX century. It was easily adopted by Polish children and adults - on the personal level as well as in schools and other public institutions.

It coincided with the beginning of summer and since it takes place near the end of the school year - it is usually treated as a holiday. Children attend schools at this day - but school usually organizes for them some special activities - like outdoor plays or the field trips.

This day and also the whole week of the beginning of June is the time of the festivities organized in the parks and entertainment centers. The parents usually buy some small gifts to their kids - the smaller the children the bigger the gifts.

a stamp from Czechoslovakia's International Children's Day Celebration in 1974

The origin of the International Children's Day reaches 1925 year. Two important events took place on June 1st in 1925 - the World Conference for the Wellbeing of Children in Geneva; in the same time the Chinese consul-general in San Francisco gathered a number of Chinese orphans³ to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival.

The celebrating of June 1st as the International Children's Day was initiated⁴ by the International Federation⁵ of Democratic Women during their meeting in Fall 1949.

June 1st as Children Day is celebrated⁶ not only in Poland but also in Czech republic, in Slovakia, Russia, Baltic republic and also in the Eastern part of the Germany. The rest of the world celebrated the Children's Day either in a different time, sometimes in a bit different form. In many countries children do not have their special day or... they have their special days all around the year!