Tbilisi Celebrates Children's Day

Various events were seen around the capital city yesterday, specifically with children in mind, the biggest celebration in Georgia yet for the June 1 International Day of Children.

From early morning, Carrefour supermarkets entertained visiting children with an all-singing-all-dancing troup of well-known cartoon characters, handing out balloons and gifts as they moved to their various branches around the city.

The malls had various events on- from fun photography to face painting, educational exhibitions, games and crafts. The play zone in Galleria Mall had a 70% discount on all its entertainment.

A number of state schools were funded to treat children from disadvantaged families or those with three or more children with trips to the cinema. 

Children’s Day was first celebrated on the second Sunday of June in 1856 by Reverend Dr. Charles Leonard of the Universalist Church of the Redeemer in Chelsea, Massachusetts (USA). Dr. Leonard held a special church service for children. He called it “Rose Day,” then it was changed to “Flower Sunday,” and then “Children's Day.”

Children's Day first became an official national holiday in 1929 in Turkey, though it was celebrated there from 1923.

The International Day for the Protection of Children has been celebrated in many countries as “Children's Day” on 1 June since 1950. It was established by the Women's International Democratic Federation during its congress in Moscow on 4 November 1949. There is also a “Universal Children's Holiday” every year on 20 November.

In September 2012, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, said he wanted to improve children’s education. He wanted every child to be able to go to school. He wanted to improve the skills children learned in school. He also wanted to promote peace, respect and environmental caring through schools.