Around the world, on March 20th, World Earth Day is celebrated at the initiative of the United Nations. In fact, there are two separate World Earth Days in the international calendar: today’s day is observed on the vernal equinox, while the second one falls on April 22nd. The first of these days carries a peacekeeping and humanitarian theme.2 photos

One focus is environmental protection, and the other is ecological balance.

The date of March 20 was chosen and officially adopted by the United Nations in 1971 as Earth Day precisely because it falls on the vernal equinox, a time when the planet’s biological rhythms change, and it enters a new phase of development. This is when nature awakens and regenerates itself. The UN states in its proclamation: “Earth Day is a special moment to raise awareness among all people about the Earth as our common home and to feel our global unity and interdependence.”

The founder of this day is considered to be the American activist John Morton, who in the 1840s launched a campaign to plant trees and shrubs as part of a program encouraging every citizen to care for the environment.

When he became secretary of the Nebraska Territory in 1872, he proposed establishing a day dedicated to greening efforts. Thus, Earth Day was born and quickly became very popular. On the first such day, residents of the state planted nearly a million trees, and this initiative soon grew into a widespread social movement. Starting in 1970, the meaning of the festival expanded to include the broader concept of environmental protection, and it was given its new name, Earth Day, which became an international celebration.

In 1971, the United Nations officially adopted this holiday, and since then it has become a global event, gaining increasing international support every year.

Today, Earth Day is a worldwide movement of citizens taking action to protect the planet as our common home, involving a wide range of activities and initiatives, both environmental and peace-related. It is less of a celebration and more of an opportunity to reflect on the fragile and vulnerable state of our environment and on the relationship between humanity and the natural world. In Russia, Earth Day is celebrated within the context of Environmental Protection Days.

Some of the most popular activities during this day include environmental exhibitions and festivals, nature conferences and marathons, street clean-ups in cities, tree planting campaigns, and temporary bans on traffic in major urban areas.

It is also traditional to observe a minute of silence during Earth Day to honor the Peace Bell, a symbol of peace, friendship, and solidarity among all peoples, and a call to action for the preservation of human culture and heritage.<