Bartenders in Russia have a special day for them called the International Day of Bartenders. It happened every February 6th every year. You might have never heard about it since it’s such an obscure event for the public who know nothing about bartending and the world of a mixologist. You might know February is the month of Valentine Day instead.

However, this day is quite a big deal among bartenders. Many people around this profession anticipate the arrival of this date every year. You might want to know what so special about it, and what you can do to join in the celebration when the day arrived. Here we sum up the list of 6 reasons why an international day bartender is a special event in Russia.

1. The day of appreciations for bartenders

Being a bartender can be tricky. Like any other profession, it requires skill honed for years for someone in order to achieve mastery in bartending. There is a lot of mixing, stirring, sometimes throwing bottles and glasses. Being a bartender is half knowing what to put in a delicious drink and providing some sort of attraction while preparing it.

Skills aside, being a bartender require strong mental agility. You have to work until wee hours, sometimes past morning. It’s a customer-related job, so a bartender will have to deal with customers of all imaginable quirk. Sometimes customers make trouble and a bartender have to deal with that. They’re drunk, unruly, and can be violent.

A bartender must also know how to strike up a conversation with customers. Many times people go to a bar not just for a drink, but to seek a companion, someone to talk to. This is where bartender stepping in, whether they like it or not. It’s no secret that bartenders are among the knowers in a club. They seem like they know everything, it’s because people simply tell them stuff.

Given the complication of their job, bartenders long for one day every year where they are celebrated and appreciated. And this is why international day bartender exists. It’s a special day for them and they deserve it. It’s like their holiday.

2. It based on a religious event

international day bartender falls every February 6th. So what’s the reason behind this date? It turns out that according to Christian Orthodox, the largest religion in Russia and neighboring eastern European countries, February 6th is the feast day of St. Amanda, which is a Catholic saint. St. Amanda is known to be a grape farmer and a winemaker, an area of his specialty.

This is why bartenders consider St. Amanda their patron saint. The day of bartender is only popularized in 2008 by a bartending community in Kiev, Ukraine. However the belief that St. Amanda is a patron saint dated back long before. The holy man is also a patron saint for winemakers, barkeepers, innkeepers, brewers, and any other related profession.

3. There will be parties

Bartenders celebrate international day bartender with an event they’re already familiar with: a party. Check on your favorite clubs in Russia near the date, you might find a special event held on that date. It’s not impossible to find special offers too, such as discounts, free drinks, and happy hour.

4. There will be meetups, competition, and contests

For bartenders, it’s the day to meet other bartenders and share each other’s skill. Imagine a networking event with only bartenders and people around this industry meet. There are also competitions and contests being held. international day bartender is an opportunity to shows each other’s skills.

5. It distracts you from Valentine’s craze

Coming to international day bartender parties and competitions can be a nice distraction if you’re currently being stressed by Valentine’s Day preparation. Take a break from your gift hunting, or restaurants haunting craze because everywhere seems like it’s fully booked. You may instead come to international day bartender events. Who knows inspiration will come?

Speaking of Valentines Day, here are inspirations about some restaurants and food for Valentine’s date. Check out also the personalized gift for Valentine’s day and movies to watch. Need more distractions? There are more events that will make you forget Valentine’s day.

6. It’s an excuse to visit nightclubs

It may have been a while for you to visit a nightclub and party. Then you could consider this special day for you to make an exception to dress up and visit Russian nightclubs. Prepare for a wild night and since there are many special offers on this day, you can take advantage of them too.

Since international day bartender is the appreciation day for bartenders, don’t forget to take time appreciating them too. At a minimum, you can just be polite to them. You can strike up a friendly conversation with a bartender too. Since they know a lot of things happening around the club, gossips and such. Chances are you will be hearing interesting stories come from their mouth. Who knows you will also get some insider tips on how to navigate Russian nightlife, which sometimes can be tricky especially with their strict face control.

You may ask about his or her profession and what’s interesting about it. If the bartender is working on some new recipes, you can ask to try and give your opinion. Another thing to note, giving tips to a bartender is quite common in Russia. On this special day, it’s an opportunity to give them tips generously.

Have a nice party on Bartender Day!