January 18th marks World Snowman Day, Winnie the Pooh Day, and the Feast Day of Saints Anatasios and Cyril. What other events are celebrated on this date?

Today, January 18, the world celebrates a holiday that brings together winter sports enthusiasts - World Snowman Day, reports UNN.

The idea of establishing this holiday belongs to German collector Cornelius Gretz, who owns more than 3,000 snowman figures. Interestingly, he chose the date for this day not by chance: the number "18" reminded him of a snowman with a broom.

The exact origins of the traditional winter character remain unclear. However, researchers believe it existed as far back as the Middle Ages.

Snowman Day serves as a reminder that even the cold winter can be a time of warmth, friendship, and joy.

Additionally, January 18 is also celebrated as Winnie the Pooh Day. This holiday was created in memory of the author of popular children's books, A.A. Milne.

The story of Winnie the Pooh began with a toy bear that Milne gave to his son, Christopher Robin. Inspired by his son's play, the writer created characters that became true icons of children's literature. Interestingly, unlike in the books, Winnie was a girl.

The bear's name has an intriguing origin. The "Winnie" part comes from the name of the city Winnipeg, while "Pooh" refers to a swan that the Milne family encountered during their walks.

The first book about Winnie the Pooh was published in 1926 and quickly gained worldwide fame.

January 18 is also Thesaurus Day, which celebrates a dictionary that contains a comprehensive and complete description of the vocabulary of a language.

This holiday honors British lexicographer Mark Roget, who first compiled and systematized the lexical composition of the English language and created the "Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases."

A thesaurus is a synonym dictionary that helps find precise words to express thoughts. Its value is hard to overestimate for writers, journalists, students, and anyone looking to diversify their language.

The term "thesaurus" comes from the Latin word for "treasure house," which is symbolic, as it serves as a linguistic treasure trove.

On this day, mini-quizzes or contests are often organized where participants must find synonyms for common words.

Celebrating Thesaurus Day is a wonderful opportunity to immerse oneself in the world of linguistic riches and see how a single word can have dozens of variations for expressing an idea.

Furthermore, this day also marks Maintenance Day.

This holiday serves as a reminder of the importance of caring for the technology and equipment used in daily life and production.

It's also important to remember the church holidays on this day. Specifically, January 18 is the Day of Saints Athanasius and Cyril, Archbishops of Alexandria.

Both saints fought against heretics and spread the Christian faith.

Saint Athanasius was born in Alexandria into a Christian family. As a young man, he became a deacon and witnessed the schism in the Church due to Arianism, which denied the divinity of Jesus Christ. After the death of Patriarch Alexander, Athanasius became Archbishop and continued the fight against heresy. For this, he was persecuted: he was accused of fabricated crimes and was exiled from Alexandria several times.

Saint Cyril was also a defender of the Orthodox faith. As Patriarch of Alexandria, he expelled heretics from the city, consecrated a pagan shrine, and built a Christian church in its place. His most notable struggle was against the Nestorian heresy, which questioned the unity of Christ's nature.

Cyril succeeded in convening the Council of Ephesus, where Nestorius' teachings were condemned, and Nestorius himself was deposed.

According to popular signs, the weather can be predicted on this day. If the sun peeks out from behind the clouds at noon, spring will be early. If there is a snowstorm, winter will be long. A thaw promises a poor harvest due to a wet summer, and if birds are flying low, bad weather is to be expected.