Posted
on April 23, 2016
A
patriotic holiday AND a celebration of children, on the same date?
Every
year on April 23, the people of Turkey commemorate the first
gathering of the Turkish Parliament, which happened on this date in
1920.
Okay,
that makes sense of the “National Sovereignty Day” part. But
where do children come in?
The
founder of the Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, dedicated April 23 to all the children of the world. Because of this, Turkish kids
take seats in the Parliament for the day. They elect a president who
addresses the entire nation on TV. Other children are chosen to
replace the Prime Minister, the cabinet ministers, and provincial
governors. In other words, children symbolically run the nation, for
a day.
And
it's not just symbolism. The child lawmakers actually discuss
issues that are important to them. And the child executives actually
sign executive orders about educational and environmental policies.
Also,
there are children's festivals held here, there, and everywhere. The
state-run Turkish Radio and Television Corporation brings children
from various nations around the world to Turkey; these child guests
stay with Turkish families for a week and attend children's
festivals.
All
of this sounds excellent. I think ALL nations should combine their
patriotic holidays with children's days! UNICEF seems to agree and
has recognized April 23 as International Children's Day!
Also
on this date:
Plan
ahead:
Check out my Pinterest boards for:
And
here are my Pinterest boards for:
bhai dooj gifts for brother
ReplyDeletegift for brother
send cake to india
gifts for brother from sister