Next: 1 Sept 2027
Knowledge Day
On the first day of school, children across the former Soviet countries bring flowers for the teacher.
What happens
The school year in Russia and many neighbouring countries begins on 1 September, known as Knowledge Day. Pupils arrive in their best clothes, each carrying a bouquet for the class teacher, and the smallest children are almost hidden behind theirs. The flowers are those of late summer gardens: tall gladioli, asters and dahlias, often grown at the family's country plot. By the end of the opening ceremony the teacher's desk is covered. Some classes now give one shared bouquet and send the money saved to charity.
The flowers
Original text by the Phool desk, written with AI assistance. Background: "Knowledge Day" on Wikipedia. Customs differ from family to family and place to place. If we have something wrong, tell us.
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Dahlia: JackyM59, CC BY 4.0, source
- Gladiolus: Gere72, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- China aster: Dalgial, CC BY-SA 3.0, source