“Women! Not one of you should work in the kitchen on this day.”

What should be given to a woman on International Woman’s Day? A poll connected with the holiday has been carried out by Russian national TV channel RTR, which proposed six variants of the answer. Most of the poll’s participants, both women and men, answered in the traditional spirit: flowers (26.44 percent). The second most popular present was “a big, useless, though very cool present” (22.6 percent). Other answers were “an sea of love” (17.79 percent), “pleasure” (13.46 percent), “an old dream” (10.58 percent) and “care” (9.13 percent).

However, one fact is interesting: so-called material presents, like flowers and “a big, useless, though very cool present” gathered half of the votes, while presents based on feelings, like “a sea of love” and “pleasure” are much less popular. Feelings cannot be put into a pocket. Byelorussian President Alexandr Lukashenko has his own opinion on the subject. He made a speech connected with March 8th: men should take upon themselves all housework. If they do not do this, they should expect the most strong measures the president can take: “Women! Not one step to the cooking pans on March 8th! If even one woman complains about her man making her work this day, I will abolish this day off for men. And they will work the clock round, and afterwards for women.”

Bravo, Lukashenko! Well said. The day before March 8, Lukashenko himself took part in a reception devoted to International Women’s Day. While it would be interesting to see Lukashenko in the kitchen, washing dishes, trying to dry them and carrying out the garbage. March 8th is not only International Women’s Day, as it is called in Russia, it is more The Day of International Women’s Solidarity in the Fight for Economical, Social, and Political Equality. This is the full title. The decision to have the yearly celebration of this day was taken in 1910, at second International Conference of women socialist in Kopenhagen. The initiative to celebrate this day belongs to Klara Zetkin. The festival was celebrated in Europe since 1911, while in Russia since 1913.

This year, on March 8, over 1 million flowers from Moscow region’s floricultural farms were supplied. One million scarlet roses for women.

Sergei Zhenov PRAVDA.Ru

Translated by Vera Solovieva

Read the original in Russian: http://www.pravda.ru/main/2002/03/08/38049.html