Under the abbreviated name of the holiday "Bird Day" hides several different international days and national holidays associated with birds. These include the International Day of Migratory Birds (2 nd Saturday in May), International Bird Day (1st April), Bird Day (May 4th), National Bird Day in the USA (5th January), National Day birds in the UK (January 22nd).
History of the holiday
The most widely and universally celebrated of them is the International Day of Birds, which falls on April 1. This international holiday originated in the USA in the late 19th century. Becoming popular with the media, he moved to Europe, and then entered the UNESCO program "Man and the Biosphere" and began to be celebrated in many countries around the world.
In Russia, the spring holiday of birds arose in the 19th century and was adopted very warmly, since already in tsarist Russia there were attempts to protect the birds. By the 20th century, this noble cause was being dealt with by more than a dozen organizations.
Including in different cities children's organizations were opened - the so-called May unions, engaged in the study and protection of birds. Members of these organizations wore hats with an emblem depicting a flying swallow.
Later these organizations collapsed, but the idea was not lost, it was taken up by the Yunnat organizations. And the feast of birds was officially approved in 1926. And although the movement was interrupted for the duration of the war, it was restored and got even bigger.
Unfortunately, by the 70s of the 20th century, the celebration was almost a "no" and revived only by 1999. Gradually, the events for the spring holiday of the arrival of birds (hanging the birdhouses and feeding troughs) became larger. And today the holiday is one of the most famous bird holidays. Children and adults prepare for the arrival of birds.
The date of April 1 was chosen for a reason, because it is at this time that birds return from warm countries, and they need new houses and feeders. The improvement of bird habitats, including those of waterfowl, is the responsibility of everyone, as the Union for the Protection of Birds
National Day of Birds in the US and UK
This annual ecological festival is designed to draw the attention of the authorities and the public to rare and endangered species of birds, create conditions for their preservation and acceptable conditions for joint living with man.
The relevant organizations conduct educational activities, telling children and adults about the difficulties and problems in this area, as well as teaching them the rules for keeping poultry.