What is Children's Day?
Children's Day is a day to celebrate children and to draw attention to their wellbeing and rights, but the date and traditions differ from country to country. In Romania it is Ziua Copilului on 1 June, a public holiday since 2017. Children receive gifts and treats, and schools, local authorities, museums and cultural venues hold events for families. For many families the day is an occasion for outings.
The date of 1 June is shared with Moldova, Mongolia, China and many other countries, following the International Day for the Protection of Children that the Women's International Democratic Federation set in 1949 and which was first observed in 1950. The United Nations has a separate Universal Children's Day on 20 November, which marks the 1959 Declaration of the Rights of the Child and the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child. Turkey holds its own National Sovereignty and Children's Day on 23 April, Japan has Kodomo no Hi on 5 May, and in South Korea Children's Day is also on 5 May.
Why it is observed
International Children's Day on 1 June was adopted in many communist states in the 1950s, and Romania first celebrated it in 1950. After 1989 the tradition continued, and in 2016 Parliament amended the Labour Code to make 1 June a day off; the law was promulgated in November 2016, so 2017 was the first year employees did not work. Elsewhere, the days grew from other traditions: Japan has marked 5 May as a national holiday for children since 1948, and Turkey's 23 April commemorates the opening of the Grand National Assembly in 1920 and was confirmed as a children's day in 1929.
How the date is set
The date depends on the country. In Romania, Children's Day is fixed on 1 June. In other countries it is on other dates, such as 5 May in Japan and South Korea, 1 June in China and Mongolia, and 23 April in Turkey.
How it is observed
In Romania, 1 June is a non-working public holiday, with banks, offices and schools closed and public events for families in parks and city centres. Shops, restaurants and leisure venues are generally open and busy. In 2027 it falls on a Tuesday. Elsewhere, Children's Day may or may not be a day off: it is a public holiday in Japan, South Korea, Mongolia, Moldova and Turkey, for example. Pay and time off depend on national law and the contract.
Sources
Romania