February 14th is certainly known primarily as Valentine's Day or Valentine's Day. However, the number of people who know about another holiday celebrated on this day is growing. Every year since 2012, February 14 has been celebrated as International Book Giving Day or International Book Giving Day, which unites everyone who gives books to children and instills in them a love of reading.
There are holidays that were born, thanks to the attention of the UN or other public organizations, to problems of an international nature, there are public holidays, religious, professional and others. One way or another, each of them has its own history of origin.
Book Giving Day – is a holiday that has become international not only because of its global essence, but also because its roots came from the people, that is, the initiative for its appearance belongs to one ordinary person – American Emmy Broadmoor – founder of a children's book website in the USA.
Plus Emmy Broadmoor – is a mother of three. It was the question of one of the sons, who once asked his mother – why there is no such day a year when people give each other books just like that, that became the impetus for the birth of a new significant holiday. Addressing familiar bloggers, social media users, colleagues and site partners initially through her communication channels, Emmy initiated the annual celebration of Book Giving Day on February 14 in 2012.
The young child's question, his mother's initiative and active position were taken up by millions of people around the world, which contributed to the establishment of this holiday as an International Day.
Today, on this day, it is customary to give books, first of all, to children, as well as to those whose opportunities for access to reading books are limited for one reason or another. However, it's not just children who like to read. Fortunately, many more adults understand and appreciate the book as an object of not only material, but, first of all, spiritual value, and appreciate the feelings and emotions that the author gives to the reader. Children, in turn, learn goodness, friendship, mutual assistance, love for one’s neighbor, a sense of empathy and much that helps a child become human.
Today, the ideological inspirers of the promotion and popularization of the book and holiday have achieved their goal: the book is still loved, and the holiday is international in nature.
Today the book is still loved (Photo: CandyBox Images, licensed from Shutterstock.com)
In Russia, in addition to ordinary citizens, many libraries throughout the country joined the celebration of International Book Donation Day. The growing popularity of the holiday contributes to the fact that book retail chains, as well as charitable organizations, are involved in its participation.
Thus, since 2017, with the support of the Russian State Children's Library, an all-Russian event «Give books with love» has been held, within the framework of which a collection of books for children's institutions, competitions, quizzes, master classes, meetings with famous people, children's writers and artists, concerts with the participation of readers and other interesting events. For example, in 2019, the «Give books with love!» promotion united more than 2,000 libraries, schools, museums, bookstores throughout Russia, as well as several tens of thousands of people who love to read. The week of love for the book took place in almost all regions of the country.
Over 5 years, 85 Russian regions joined the action, more than a million books were collected and transferred to various organizations, and the partner of the – campaign, « Business Lines» –, transported more than 70 tons of books free of charge.
The organizers and activists of the holiday ask all caring people to take care of the book and not forget that, unfortunately, even today in the world not every person has the opportunity to freely get acquainted with the book. Some – due to insufficient material support, and some – due to a difficult life situation and social reasons. There are orphanages, shelters, boarding schools, hospitals where children abandoned by their parents are located. Bring there books that have been read or are not in demand due to children growing up in the family, give these books, seeing joy in the child’s eyes and remembering that not only gadgets can evoke such a genuine feeling – is a good deed!
Story «They are next to us»