Happy Women's Day

Until I lived in the UK, I had never heard of this day of observance, even though Germany and Taiwan, both places I have lived, supposedly celebrate the day.  Maybe it had something to do with the fact that I was limited linguistically in these countries and simply had no idea the day of celebration was occurring.

In many countries around the world, today is celebrated as "Happy Women's Day".  What's the history of this day of observance, you ask?

International Women's Day (IWD), originally called International Working Women’s Day is marked on March 8th of every year and is a major day of global celebration of women. In different regions of the world,  the focus of the celebrations range from general celebration of respect, appreciation and love towards women to a celebration for women's economic, political and social achievements.

Originating as a Socialist political event, the holiday blended in the cultures of many countries, primarily Eastern Europe, Russia, and the former Soviet bloc countries. In many regions, the day lost its political flavour, and simply became an occasion for men to express their love for women in a way somewhat similar to a mixture of Mother's Day and St Valentine's Day. In other regions, however, the original political and human rights theme designated by the United Nations runs strong, and political and social awareness of the struggles of women worldwide are brought out and examined in a hopeful manner.

So, Happy Women's Day to all the amazing women I know...for their achievements, for their dedication to the world they are a part of, and for the difference they make in the lives of so many people.