International Children's Day Celebration along with World Milk Day Observance
Celebrating the First Day of Summer Globally:
The kick-off of summer is a reason for celebration across the world, with three major events on June 1st.
- International Children’s Day: Originating from the 1925 World Conference on Child Welfare in Geneva, this holiday stands as one of the oldest international observances. The exact reasoning behind choosing June 1st remains a mystery, although some believe it was influenced by a Chinese orphan children's celebration in 1925. This day serves not only as a fun day for children but also as a reminder to society about the importance of protecting children's rights, ensuring their happy growth, learning, and pursuit of passions, ultimately resulting in becoming outstanding citizens.
- World Milk Day: First celebrated in 2001 by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), World Milk Day aims to promote milk and dairy products and educate the public about milk production. Although it has a "worldwide" status, some countries celebrate their own Milk Day on different dates, such as September 26th in Australia, June 3rd in Finland, and June 11th in Malaysia.
- Superman's Birthday: June 1st, 1938, marked the release of the first issue of the American comic book Action Comics, featuring the iconic character, Superman. Superman's adventures were brought to life by Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster. Adapted into films numerous times, the most famous version is the Christopher Reeve-led tetralogy from 1978 to 1987, with Brandon Routh taking on the role of Superman in "Superman Returns" in 2006.
Apart from these, the first day of June is also celebrated as:
- National Go Barefoot Day: Encouraging people to discard their footwear for the day.
- Dinosaur Day: A celebration of the enduring fascination with dinosaurs in popular culture.
- National Cancer Survivors Day: Recognizing and celebrating cancer survivors.
- World Reef Awareness Day: Emphasizing the need for preservation and conservation of coral reefs.
- Constitution Day (Tunisia): Commemorating the Tunisian constitution’s promulgation on June 1, 1959.
- Independence Days (Western Samoa): Part of the festivities for Western Samoa’s independence from New Zealand trusteeship.
These festivities showcase a diverse range of themes, including environmental consciousness, cultural acknowledgments, and nationally significant events.
- The celebration of Duanwu Festival, a Chinese children's celebration, was thought to have influenced the choice of June 1st for the World Conference on Child Welfare in 1925, giving rise to International Children’s Day.
- In addition to International Children’s Day, the first day of June also marks the returns of numerous celebrated characters in lifestyle and entertainment, such as the iconic Superman from the comic books.
- The first day of summer is a day when various lifestyles and enterntainment options are celebrated, including National Go Barefoot Day, which encourages the abandonment of footwear for a day.
- Apart from celebrating children and popular culture, the first day of June is commemorated globally in Geneva, at the site of the World Conference on Child Welfare, as a reminder of the importance of protecting children's rights and advocating for the well-being of children.
