International Potato Day, Steppe Day in Ukraine: what else is celebrated on May 30
Kyiv • UNN
May 30 is International Potato Day, Steppe Day in Ukraine, Cat Hug Day and Women's Emancipation Day. Also, Orthodox Christians honor the memory of Isaac the Confessor.
Today, May 30, the whole world celebrates International Potato Day - a holiday established by the UN to honor the important role of this crop in ensuring food security, fighting poverty and sustainable agricultural development, writes UNN.
International Potato Day
International Potato Day is a relatively young holiday, which was first celebrated in the world in 2024. This day was officially established by the United Nations. In this way, the UN called on governments, scientific institutions and producers to pay attention to the potential of this crop in the context of climate change and the growing population of the planet.
The purpose of establishing this International Potato Day is to emphasize the role of potatoes in ensuring global food security, improving nutrition, and fighting poverty.
Potatoes are the fourth largest food crop in the world after corn, rice and wheat. It easily adapts to different climatic conditions, contains important nutrients and is the basis of the diet for hundreds of millions of people.
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Steppe Day in Ukraine
Every year on May 30, Ukraine celebrates Steppe Day - an initiative dedicated to the preservation and popularization of steppe ecosystems. The holiday was founded in 2017 following the results of the interregional scientific seminar "Protection of steppe landscapes of Donetsk and Luhansk regions".
In particular, this holiday was founded in honor of the 90th anniversary of the founding of the "Stone Tombs" reserve - one of the most famous symbols of the protection of steppe landscapes in Ukraine.
International Hug Your Cat Day
Also on this day, the whole world celebrates International Hug Your Cat Day - an unofficial but popular holiday among cat owners, which has become a great opportunity to once again remind about the importance of care, love and emotional connection between people and pets.
On this day, fans of fluffy animals around the world share photos with their cats. The day encourages responsible attitude to animals and promotes the idea of adopting cats from shelters.
Women's Emancipation Day
On May 30, a number of European countries celebrate Women's Emancipation Day - a symbolic holiday dedicated to the struggle of women for equality and honoring historical events that have become milestones on the path to gender justice.
There are two main versions of the origin of this date. According to one of them, the holiday was established in memory of Joan of Arc, a French heroine who led the struggle against English rule during the Hundred Years' War, who was executed on May 30, 1431. She became a symbol of female courage, strength and self-sacrifice.
Although Emancipation Day is not an official holiday in most countries, it is celebrated by activists, human rights defenders and all those who support the fight for women's rights, gender equality and recognition of women's contribution to history.
Commemoration of the Reverend Isaac the Confessor, Abbot of Dalmatia
On this day, the Orthodox Church commemorates the Reverend Isaac the Confessor, Abbot of Dalmatia.
Saint Isaac lived in Syria in the 4th century, where he led a secluded and austere ascetic life. Later he moved to Constantinople, where he founded a monastery, which was later named Dalmatian - in honor of his successor, Abbot Dalmat.
Reverend Isaac is known not only as an ascetic, but also as a defender of the Orthodox faith. He openly opposed Arianism - a heresy that denied the divinity of Jesus Christ. For this he was persecuted, but after the fall of the Arian emperor Valens he was released and continued his spiritual ministry.
Name days on this day are celebrated by Adrian, Athanasius, Mykola, Stepan, Evdokia, Efrosinia.