International Women's Day

Holiday weekends always bring a bit of brightness to what are otherwise pretty routine and drab days, especially in the spring! Yes, the sun is shining a little more, and the temperatures aren't quite as frigid as a few weeks ago, but the city is still shrouded in shades of gray and brown and tan. There is no grass (at any time of the year), no leaves, no flowers, no blooms; the only things adding color to our surroundings are the multi-colored shopping bags carelessly tossed on the streets, the neon lights strung around the city and lit up at night, and the bright scarves worn by all the women.

Speaking of women, Monday brought another International Women's Day to the Steppe. How do the folk celebrate a day dedicated to women?? Let me show you!

Most of our local friends will take turns visiting each others' homes in groups and have cup after cup after cup of tea. Traditionally the men will bring flowers to the ladies in his life (around here that could mean several) and always in groups of an odd number! Did you know that to give an even number of flowers is VERY BAD luck?? In fact, one time an American friend of mine wanted to buy a half dozen roses, and the seller flat our refused to bundle them together! Even after explaining that 6 was traditional for us, she wadded them up in 2 bundles of 3 and shoved them at my friend in disgust. OK, I've gotten sidetracked!

Let's continue... Now the official holiday is always March 8th, and employees did take that day "off". But here's the catch, workers really never get a day off around here. Instead, if a holiday falls on a Monday or Tuesday, they simply are made to work on the Sunday before- which is normally their only day off. Holiday later in the week? No problem. Work the following Sunday to make up your 6 day work week. So, in reality, although a holiday itself may be fun-filled, there is no day off.

So, how did the SteppeSister Family celebrate? Let me just show you.

The kids especially looked forward to the table laden with sugary goodies! Aren't they sweet??



The men poured the tea, and took the mild teasing quite well!



This would be our lunch today! Cake, cookies, bread, butter, candy and tea.



So festive!



Isn't it pretty?? Tastes horrible! Dry, like cardboard shavings glued together with putty.



Something you won't see very often in homes on the Steppe!