The Battle of Moscow in 1941 is recorded in history as one of the greatest events during the Great Patriotic War. The inaccessibility of the capital haunted Hitler's army. Hitler was firmly convinced that Moscow would fall, and with it the spirit of the entire Russian resistance would fall. The Germans prepared very thoroughly for the plan to capture the city. For months, the enemy force had been preparing its largest capture operation, codenamed Typhoon. Carrying out their daring plan, the Germans hoped to break through several fronts of the Russian army and surround Moscow on two sides at once. The offensive operation was kept secret, but Soviet intelligence recognized the location of enemy troops, which helped Russian troops put up serious resistance. While the enemy was rushing at full speed towards the coveted city, residents of Moscow and the Moscow region managed to prepare defensive lines, despite the autumn weather and impassability. By the end of November of the same year, the enemy managed to get close to the capital, but at that time the enemy had already suffered heavy losses. Unwilling to give up, the German army launched the second stage of the counteroffensive, but was decisively defeated by Soviet troops. By the beginning of December, the enemy slowly but surely began to retreat, abandoning their vehicles, weapons and entire warehouses with food and ammunition along the way. Operation Typhoon failed thanks to the courage and tenacity of Soviet heroes. December 5, 1941 is officially considered the Day of Military Glory of Russia, namely the Day of the beginning of the counter-offensive of Soviet troops against the troops of the Nazi invaders. For the battle of Moscow, 110 soldiers were awarded, and more than a million defenders of the capital received medals “For the Defense of Moscow.” This was one of the largest battles at the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, which in some way determined the further development of events. The myth of the invincibility of the German army was debunked, and this fact gave rise to new waves of heroism and dedication of Soviet soldiers in the battle for their homeland.

In 1985, the UN General Assembly declared December 5th as International Volunteer Day to highlight the power and potential of this movement, talk about its importance and tell the world about the activities of volunteers or, as they are also called, volunteers. There are more than a billion people in the ranks of volunteers, and every day they help in hospitals, nursing homes and orphanages, participate in the elimination of accidents and the consequences of natural disasters, solve environmental issues and fight social problems. Various reasons motivate people to join the ranks of volunteers, but they are united by the fact that money or career growth are not the main motivation for work. Volunteering has no religious, racial, age or political boundaries, and its core values ​​are justice, equality and freedom, as expressed in the UN Charter. On the occasion of Volunteer Day, in his annual messages, the UN Secretary-General notes the invaluable role of volunteers, regardless of their activities. All over the world, on December 5, conferences, seminars, rallies, parades, fairs, exhibitions, visits to donor centers, fundraising, etc. are held. This is an additional opportunity for volunteer groups to talk about themselves, their work and the contribution they make to the benefit of society at local and international levels. In modern Russia, the volunteer movement originated in the 80s of the last century. Although history shows that volunteerism in Rus' has existed for a long time - this is the restoration of churches and the guardianship of orphanages, zemstvo doctors and nurses, literacy campaigns and donation collections, later Timur’s teams, all kinds of nature conservation communities and partnerships for the protection of monuments. Now that the growth of social problems has increased, the volunteer movement in Russia is gaining strength and developing. There are more and more caring people who are ready to voluntarily give up their strength, skills and time for good deeds, for the good of the whole country or to help some individual person. Volunteers in Russia help abandoned children, large families, people with disabilities, and solve social issues for families in difficult life situations. But due to some stereotypes, volunteer practice in Russia is difficult to take root and does not enjoy the trust of the majority of the population, therefore the necessary task of today's public organizations and charitable foundations is to promote the volunteer movement, popularize ideas, form its positive image and revive the best traditions of Russian volunteerism. All this should happen with the assistance of government agencies, because a society that supports various forms of volunteerism is a society that cares about increasing the well-being of its citizens.

World Soil Day (WSD) is an international holiday that has been celebrated annually on December 5th since 2014. Its goal is to draw attention to the importance of careful management of soil as a conditionally renewable natural resource. The idea for the holiday was put forward by the International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS) during the 17th World Congress, held in Bangkok in August 2002. The organization wanted to install it in recognition of the enormous contribution to land conservation by Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej. The WSD logo is a planet with land-covered continents and a plant on top. The holiday was officially established in 2013 by the United Nations, which named it one of the priorities on its list. The UN pointed out the great importance of soil protection for preserving biodiversity, reducing water and air pollution, preserving the climate, and ensuring food security for the population. She considers land pollution with heavy metals, sodification, and salinization to be the most serious problems. The IUSS initiative was supported by the European Society for Soil Conservation, the World Food Organization, the Eurasian Center for Food Security, and many educational and scientific institutions. On World Soil Day, they call for the sustainable use of land resources and encourage scientists to develop new, environmentally friendly agricultural technologies. Each year the IUSS announces a new motto and selects the soil of the year. For example, in 2005 it was chernozem, and in 2015 it was false clay. On its website, the organization offers a variety of information materials in different languages: maps of saline soils for experts, colorful posters, videos, brochures, comics for children. Postcards and T-shirts with matching prints are available. Ordinary citizens, including school teachers, media representatives, museum workers, and artists, help disseminate important information. Educational events are carried out by environmental and conservation organizations, associations of landowners, and unions of agricultural and forestry workers. They organize photo exhibitions, scientific and practical conferences, and virtual meetings with soil scientists for people of all ages.

World Ninja Day has been celebrated every December 5th since 2003. The history of this unofficial holiday is funny. Its authors were the administrators of the parody site Ninja Burger. And the date was timed to coincide with the release of the film “The Last Samurai,” which showed an impressive battle between samurai and a squad of ninjas. According to the authors' idea, everyone on Ninja Day can imagine themselves as these mysterious Japanese warriors - martial arts masters and specialists in secret operations. You can dress up like a ninja, watch a movie about them, or share information about an unusual holiday with your friends. The background of this almost comic holiday is serious and directly related to an interesting cultural phenomenon from the history of Japan. We are talking about the phenomenon of "ninjutsu". Literally, the term means “to hide” or “to hide.” That is, ninjas were trained, first of all, to be secretive, to carry out their tasks unnoticed by outsiders. The phenomenon originated in the 5th century, and the art of being invisible was lost in the 19th century. Now real ninjas no longer exist; we are left with only their image, which was idealized and shrouded in an aura of mystery thanks to cinema. In essence, ninjas were highly skilled all-round mercenaries. They mastered the skills of traditional Japanese martial arts and combined the functions of a spy, saboteur and assassin. Several closed clans were involved in training such people. Training required a lot of time, financial costs and effort, and began in childhood. The camps were located in remote forest and mountain areas. In them, future ninjas learned:• handling different types of bladed weapons;• fighting in various conditions (indoors, in open space, on city streets, in the dark, etc.);• the use of poisons;• the art of moving silently , travel long distances on foot, do without food and water, maintain balance well; • swimming and diving (including holding your breath for a long time). The attitude among the Japanese towards ninjas corresponded to their activities. That is, they were considered mercenaries, and the samurai even spoke of them with some disdain. At the same time, everyone paid tribute to the good training of such “specialists.” The same samurai, if necessary, hired them to participate in their civil strife. It was often too dangerous or simply impossible to try to eliminate or compromise a high-ranking enemy or steal documents on your own. In this case, ninjas came to the rescue. Their services cost a lot, but the result was practically guaranteed.

The beginning of December in Russia is a period when not all regions of the country can boast of snow cover and fresh frost. Changeability of weather, instability of atmospheric pressure and gray skies have a depressing effect on the body. There is still a long wait for the New Year holidays, taking into account the fact that Orthodox people, unlike Catholics, celebrate Christmas in early January.

Each object of our planetary system, like comets, meteorites and other celestial bodies, has its own voice. Anyone can find out what the cosmos is talking or singing about if they find on the Internet the roar of Jupiter arising at the site of the collision of the solar wind with the magnetosphere of the planet, the roar of the winds and dust storms of Mars.

Birthday of King Rama IX (Father's Day) in Thailand

The billiards term "trickshot" refers to a skillfully executed shot on a pool or snooker table. Many fans associate the ball hitting the pocket with throwing the ball into a basketball basket. Therefore, the term trick shot is used not only in American or English billiards. Thus, in basketball, athletes’ demonstration of mastery of tricks gives the game additional entertainment and excitement. There are a large number of billiard trickshots and ball throws that make a lasting impression on the audience. Most fans are familiar with the behind-the-back move, the between-the-legs pass, and the fake, which tricks your opponent into believing it's a false serve. A holiday has been established in honor of the jump shot, layup, slam dunk, hook shot, finger roll, lay-up and other “feints”. World Stunt Day is celebrated on the first Tuesday of December every year. World Trick Shot Day was first held in 2016. The holiday appeared thanks to the American club Harlem Globetrotters from Phoenix, which is interested in popularizing basketball. World Stunt Day aims to encourage professionals and amateurs alike to demonstrate their skills in throwing a ball through a basket using a variety of techniques. For this purpose, demonstration performances by teams are held, and posts with the hashtags #TrickShotDay and #WorldTrickShotDay are posted on social networks. The festival is held to show everyone interested in high-speed sports how creative and interesting the game of basketball can be. It was no coincidence that the Harlem Globetrotters Club initiated the emergence of World Stunt Day. The sports team, whose game would later be called the basketball circus, appeared in 1927. During matches, black players from the Harlem Globetrotters demonstrated dynamic dribbling, sharp jerks and passes. Athletes noticed that “clownery” and interesting tricks impressed fans and attracted attention more than the traditional behavior of opponents on the court. The Harlem Globetrotters became ambassadors for a new style of play and active use of the trick shot in basketball. The club's anthem in 1952 was the song Sweet Georgia Brown, to which the athletes performed their world-famous Magic Circle warm-up. The players spent years honing not only their basketball skills, but also their acting talent. Therefore, the team was invited to Hollywood to film a film about the history of the club. The pioneers of basketball show business have many achievements and victories to their credit. Out of more than 20 thousand matches played, the Harlem Globetrotters suffered only 332 losses. Today, like ninety years ago, the club’s performances resemble a synthesis of basketball and theater shows. The calling card of the players is masterful performance of tricks. Thus, Michael "Wild Thing" Wilson, who in 2000 threw the ball into a hoop set at a height of 3 m 65 cm, is the author of the world record for vertical slam dunk. World Trick Day invites all fans of the dynamic sport to learn more interesting facts about the history of basketball, practice trick shots and demonstrate their skills.

Any product that we purchase in a store, any service we use, accounting for every export or import operation into the country - all this is managed by science - statistics. As you know, statistics is the study of quantitative data of a mass nature about any phenomenon. Be it social phenomena, commercial or educational. We always follow with interest how many medals, for example, the Ukrainian Olympic team won in these, last and the games before last. Or we are interested in knowing how many children were born, how many boys and girls in a particular city in Ukraine over a certain period. Information about the sale of food products is often interesting - how many liters of milk are needed in the Dnepropetrovsk region, or which region eats more meat and sweets. In a word, everything related to numbers, comparisons and graphs is the work of statisticians. Of course, statistics are important when planning the country's budget and in other areas of state life. And on December 5 every year, since 2002 - this year, the President of Ukraine - Leonid Kuchma signed a decree on celebrating the day of statistics worker. It must be said that the massive population census in 2001 was an important statistical event for the country. Statisticians bring all the fruits of their labors to the public in the media - and anyone can find out any statistical data on a particular issue by using any search engine on the Internet. You can also order research - this is often used by large trading companies to study the needs of their customers and their preferences. In general, statistics for advertising are a great help, because all ratings of trading operations are calculated and processed by specially educated people - statisticians. It must be said that the work of these people is not very noticeable - it concerns more paperwork and data collection, but a significant part of the life of any state rests on statistics - after all, to understand, plan, manufacture, for the needs of the population, this or that product, in accordance with the population size , their needs and so on - this is an important part of a stable economic situation in the country. Therefore, on December 5, it would not be out of place to express gratitude to every statistical worker for his seemingly unnoticeable, but such important work across Ukraine.

On December 5 (November 22, old style), according to the popular calendar, the memory of the martyr Procopius the Reader, who died for his Christian faith in the 4th century in Caesarea, is honored. Born in Jerusalem, Procopius adhered to pious views from childhood and studied the Word of God. Having taken the position of reader in the Caesarea church, he was engaged in the interpretation of the Holy Scriptures and translated them into Syriac. For his free work, the Lord rewarded Procopius with the gift of healing people suffering from demonic possession. Saint Procopius preached the Christian religion in churches and denounced idolatry. When Emperor Diocletian found out about this, he ordered the reader to be seized and forced to renounce his faith in Jesus Christ. In addition, the cruel emperor demanded that Procopius bow his head before the four gods of the pagans, making a sacrifice to them. But the Saint refused, for which his head was cut off with a sword. Since ancient times, people have noticed that constant winter weather was established on Prokopyev Day. Often snow covered the roads, and people began work on laying sled tracks. Just for the male half of the population, this day marked the beginning of the period of construction and repair of sleighs. Prokopyev Day was sometimes called Vekhostav. Sometimes the whole village would go out to make crafts and put up winter milestones along the road. Such milestones were tall single stakes with notches for height. Every traveler needed them in order to see how much snow there was and not fall into the snowdrifts. After hard work, a holiday was organized in the village - with common efforts they set the table, brewed beer, and treated everyone present to hot drinks. And the youth had fun playing with snowballs and sledding. The people entertained each other with various riddles. Women traditionally went into the snowy forest in search of the miracle herb ephilia, which can straighten stooped people. The weather for the future was determined by signs. It was believed that if someone saw wolves close to the village, then a long, harsh winter was predicted. If the water on the river rose above the ice, warmer temperatures and wet snow should be expected. The frost-free weather on Prokopyev Day foreshadowed a long, snowy winter. Also, snowy weather was expected after seeing soot burning near the fire.

Orthodox holidays on December 5:

Throughout the history of Christianity, Orthodox believers have repeatedly shown unprecedented courage and courage in the fight against Muslims. Examples of military valor are the battles of the 7th-12th centuries. with the Arabs in the vicinity of Constantinople, in the southern provinces of Byzantium and North Africa. The Bulgarians took part in the battles with the Abbasid Empire along with the Greeks. Their leader was Saint Michael, a representative of an ancient family of “original Christians”, born in the family of the iterator Simeon I the Great in the city of Potuca in Romagna. With his courage and valor, the military leader set an example for the squad under his command. When in the battle of 866 the Greeks, frightened by the pressure of the Turks, fled from the battlefield, righteous Michael showed courage and rushed into battle like a real warrior. Before this, he fell to the ground in tears and began to pray to God for the salvation of Christians, after which he led a detachment against the enemy. The heavens heard the request of the righteous man: suddenly heavy rain began, lightning and thunder struck and terrified the enemies of the Bulgarians, forcing the Turks to flee. With God's help, Mikhail dispersed the Mohammedans, while he himself and his detachment remained safe and sound. The second miracle happened on the saint’s way to his homeland in Potuka. One of the settlements, located in the Raifa desert, was terrorized for years by a huge snake that came out of the lake and ate children. Having prayed to God, Mikhail cut off three heads of the monster that emerged from the water, saving the residents of the city from many years of suffering, and continued his journey. This feat of the righteous makes him similar to the Great Martyr George the Victorious, who killed the serpent at the foot of the Lebanese Mountains near Beirut. Mikhail Voin, who returned home, quickly died. The righteous man continued to perform miracles even after his death in 866: heavenly signs were often observed at his tomb in the city of Potuk, and weak and terminally ill believers were healed. The Orthodox Church honors the services of the Bulgarian saint to Christianity. Every year on December 5th the Day of Remembrance of the Righteous Michael the Warrior is celebrated. In 1206, by order of Tsar Kaloyan, the relics of the saint were transferred to the city of Tarnov, the capital of Bulgaria. Patriarch Vasily, together with representatives of the clergy and citizens of the country, came out to meet the procession with the remains of Righteous Michael, making a religious procession in his honor with candles and a chandelier. The king and the head of the Bulgarian church took the reliquary with the relics of the saint and carried it on their shoulders to the main cathedral. At the beginning of the 19th century. The remains of Michael the Warrior were transported to Wallachia, a historical region located in the south of modern Romania, where they remain to this day.

Memorial Day of the Righteous Prince Mikhail Tverskoy

On the day of remembrance of the martyr Procopius the reader, celebrated in the Orthodox Church on December 5, his services in the spread of the Christian religion are honored. Prayerful commemoration of the saint, who suffered for Christ and accepted martyrdom in 303, has been accepted. Procopius was born in Jerusalem. Few facts are known about his life before he received the position of reader. His special gift was the ability to clearly and clearly explain the meaning of the Holy Scriptures, sometimes not entirely clear to believers. Therefore, he soon gained the opportunity to read and interpret the Word of God in one of the main temples of Palestine - Caesarea. In his life, his merits are glorified in translating the sacred texts of Scripture into the Syriac language and in the fight against demons, which he cast out from the possessed. Procopius traveled widely to churches so that as many Christians as possible could better understand and learn about God and his deeds. The ruler of Caesarea, an ardent pagan, categorically did not like this activity. He gave the order to seize the ascetic. At that time, all emperors were equated in status to gods, requiring their subjects to make pagan blood sacrifices. So the reign of Emperor Diocletian, which occurred at that period in the history of the Roman Empire, was not without persecutions and executions. Procopius resolutely refused to participate in the sacrifice. And he answered honestly and directly that for him there is only one Lord. For such disobedience, his head was cut off. This historical stage, which lasted until 313, is considered the most severe and merciless in relation to believers in Christ. Researchers estimate that tens of thousands of people were executed and tortured for their faith before religious tolerance was restored. The body of the great martyr was taken away for burial in his historical homeland. Later, at the end of the 6th century, a church was built at the burial site, which today is in a dilapidated state. But the stone crypt (a small vaulted room) where his remains are buried has been preserved and is a place of pilgrimage. In Russian Orthodoxy, the name of the saint has been known since early times and has firmly entered into folk rituals. According to peasant beliefs, a sleigh route is established on this day. Only the road had to be laid “to Prokop” so that it would last until spring. From this period, the male part of the population added work - making or repairing sleds. The position of reader exists in a slightly modified form today: as a rule, graduates of theological seminaries choose this field. On the day of remembrance, Saint Procopius opens the thoughts of people who come to the temple and ask to pray to God for the salvation of their souls.

Memorial Day of the Holy Apostles from the 70th Philemon, Archippus and Apphia