Happy Day of Knowledge! // С Днём Знаний!

Every year on the 1^st September, Russia celebrates the ‘Day of Knowledge’ (День Знаний). The holiday bears such a name due to the fact that the day marks the end of summer, the beginning of autumn and, most importantly, the new academic year for students. In other words, the season of long summer days at the Dacha (summerhouse) has ended, and a new year of early-wakeups and homework has begun!

Every year on the 1^st September, Russia celebrates the ‘Day of Knowledge’ (День Знаний). The holiday bears such a name due to the fact that the day marks the end of summer, the beginning of autumn and, most importantly, the new academic year for students. In other words, the season of long summer days at the Dacha (summerhouse) has ended, and a new year of early-wakeups and homework has begun!

The holiday was officially created on the 1^st September 1984 by the Supreme Council of the USSR. Before this, the 1^st September was still known as the start of the academic year, but there were no official celebrations held on the day.

Did you know? September 1 has marked the start of the new academic year for centuries (although it was not until 1935 that this date was made the official start of the academic year; before this, schools could follow their own timetable, which was especially useful for schools located in agricultural districts). In the times of Ancient Rus, September 1 marked the beginning of the new year in all senses of the word: it was the start of a new calendar year, the start of a new academic year, and the start of a new harvesting year. It was only during the reign of Peter the Great that New Year was moved to January 1, in imitation of Europe. However, out of  practicality, Peter the Great did not move the beginning of the academic calendar to January, instead opting to keep September 1 as the start of the school year.

The Day of Knowledge is a day primarily for school pupils, with special attention given to those who are starting school for the first time. It is also a day for university students, teachers, and anyone else who works for or studies within Russia’s education system. On this day, you will most likely see a multitude of young children being walked to school, dressed smartly and carrying flowers for their teachers. Girls often have white ribbons in their hair, in line with the tradition.

The day involves a celebratory lineup (called a ‘торжественные линейки’), which, along with the ‘first bell’, marks the official start of the academic year. The bell is rung by a girl in the first grade, and she must sit on the shoulders of a senior pupil (aged 17-18). In addition to these ceremonial traditions, pupils will celebrate this day by singing songs and reading poetry about school, listening to speeches, and even attending sample lessons (the exact programme of the day varies from school to school). Sometimes, local government representatives visit their local schools to join in the celebrations and ceremonies. The day is not a full school day – activities will often be concluded early into the day, meaning that school children are allowed to go home slightly earlier than normal.