The International Children's Day had its origin in Turkey in 1920 (April 23, 1920) and later in the World Conference for the Well-being of Children in Geneva, Switzerland in 1925. It is not clear as to why June 1 was chosen as the International Children's Day: one theory has it that the Chinese consul-general in San Francisco (USA) gathered a number of Chinese orphans to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival in 1925, which happened to be on June 1 that year, and also coincided with the conference in Geneva.
Following photos and excerpts are from China Review article Different Childhood on The Same Planet. Access the links to see additional photos.
Children perform during an activity to mark the International Children's Day in Lanzhou, capital of northwest China's Gansu Province, May 31, 2009. (Xinhua/Qiao Jihong)
Some Mexican children play games at a park in Mexico City, capital of Mexico, May 30, 2009. The International Children's Day falls on June 1. (Xinhua/Bao Feifei)
Some girls prepare to release paper boats decorated with dolls in Tokyo, capital of Japan, March 2, 2008. According to the Japanese tradition, Japan has its Boys' Festival and Girls' Festival, which falls on May 5 and March 3 each year respectively. During the Boys' Festival, parents will display carp streamers in front of their houses and decorate samurai dolls with the earnest wish that their boys may grow up to be healthy and robust. And during the Girls' Festival, parents will release paper boats in the river, which means to take away illness and to bring their girls happiness and health. (Xinhua/Ren Zhenglai)
Photo taken on May 18, 2009 shows a Palestinian boy walking by armed Israeli soldiers in the West Bank city of Hebron. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)
An Iraqi girl enters the Zawara Park with her parents in central Baghdad, capital of Iraq, May 30, 2009, prior to the International Children's Day, which falls on June 1. (Xinhua/Gao Shan)
