What is celebrated on September 12 in Ukraine and around the world
Kyiv • UNN
In Ukraine, September 12 is celebrated as Cinema Day and Physical Culture and Sports Day. Around the world, first aid, video games, and South-South cooperation are commemorated.
On September 12, Ukraine celebrates Ukrainian Cinema Day and Physical Culture and Sports Day; worldwide, under the auspices of the UN, South-South Cooperation Day and World First Aid Day are observed, as well as International Video Game Day. According to the new style, the church calendar commemorates Hieromartyr Autonomus and marks the Leave-taking of the Feast of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos; according to the old style, it commemorates Saints Alexander, John, and Paul, Patriarchs of Constantinople, UNN writes.
Ukrainian Cinema Day
An official professional holiday for cinematographers and admirers of domestic screen art, celebrated on the second Saturday of September in accordance with a 1996 decree of the President of Ukraine.
The date is dedicated to the rich history of Ukrainian cinema—from Alfred Fedetsky's first film shoots in Kharkiv at the end of the 19th century, and the silent-film masterpieces of Oleksandr Dovzhenko and the “poetic cinema” of Serhii Paradzhanov and Ivan Mykolaichuk, to contemporary national films that win awards at the most prestigious international film festivals in Cannes, Berlin, and Venice, as well as at the Oscars.
Physical Culture and Sports Day of Ukraine
An official holiday for teachers, coaches, professional athletes, and all supporters of an active lifestyle, celebrated annually on the second Saturday of September in accordance with a 1994 presidential decree.
The event highlights the importance of mass sports and physical education in preserving the nation's health, and also honors the achievements of Ukrainian Olympians and Paralympians, who represent athletics, boxing, swimming, football, and other sports disciplines on the world stage.
United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation
An official UN international observance established by the General Assembly in 2003 to commemorate the adoption on this day in 1978 of the Buenos Aires Plan of Action for Promoting and Implementing Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries.
The day is intended to highlight the economic, political, and social achievements of the regions of the Global South, as well as to promote the exchange of technologies, expertise, trade, and investment among the countries of Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
World First Aid Day
A global medical and social observance established in 2000 by the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, traditionally held on the second Saturday of September.
The event is dedicated to raising public awareness of basic emergency first-aid skills that can save the lives of victims during the first critical minutes after accidents, disasters, or other emergencies.
International Video Game Day
An unofficial holiday for gamers, developers, programmers, and digital artists around the world.
The event celebrates the multibillion-dollar interactive entertainment industry and its historical evolution—from the first text-based games and arcade machines to today’s spectacular esports disciplines, virtual-reality systems, and complex game-design projects with deep storylines.
Leave-taking of the Feast of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos
According to the new calendar, Orthodox and Greek Catholic believers observe the Leave-taking of the Feast of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, concluding the eight-day period of afterfeast for this Great Feast.
On this day, they also commemorate Hieromartyr Autonomus, Bishop of Italy, who moved to Bithynia at the end of the 3rd century during the persecutions of Emperor Diocletian, converted many pagans to Christianity, and built a church in honor of the Archangel Michael, where he later suffered a martyr's death at the hands of a pagan mob.
According to the old calendar, believers commemorate the holy hierarchs Alexander, John, and Paul, Patriarchs of Constantinople, who in the 4th–6th centuries selflessly defended Orthodox teaching against the Arian and Monothelite heresies. They also remember Saint Alexander of Svir, a prominent ascetic of northern Rus' and the founder of a 15th-century monastery, who became renowned for his ascetic feats, prayer, and strict monastic rule.