On February 2, Russia celebrates Victory Day in the Battle of Stalingrad and the world celebrates Groundhog Day. Orthodox believers commemorate Saint Euthymius the Great. Lenta.ru shows what other holidays are celebrated on February 2, 2026 in Russia and other countries as well as which famous people were born on this day.

Holidays in Russia

The day the Soviet army defeated the Nazis at the Battle of Stalingrad

Germany's Battle of Stalingrad on the side of its allies contributed to the strengthening of resistance movements in European countries.

The day of the letter “Y”

“Y” is a relatively new letter in the Russian alphabet. In the Greek alphabet that we use borrow Most of the letters are missing, just like in the oldest Cyrillic texts. Almost until the 14th century, the letter “Y” did not have its own style. It is written as b (er) or b (er) with the letter I or I assigned. The letter “Y” has a continuous spelling and full status in later documents.

Holidays around the world

Groundhog Day

The holiday is celebrated mainly in the United States and Canada. Every year on February 2, many people from many parts of the world observe the behavior of groundhogs waking up from a long winter sleep.

According to legend, if the animal boldly steps out, spring will soon come, but if it hides in the cave because it is afraid of its own shadow, winter will last another six weeks.

World Wetlands Day

Go to wetlands apply a variety of habitats: wetlands, floodplains, rivers and lakes, coastal areas, underwater seagrass meadows, coral reefs and marine areas no more than 6 meters deep at low tide, as well as some man-made bodies of water. They occupy no more than 10% of the land surface, but wetlands are home to almost half of all plant and animal species.

What other holidays are celebrated around the world on February 2?

Hedgehog Day; Sled Dog Day; The day to give up unnecessary relationships; World Ukulele Day

Church holiday is February 2

Memorial Day of Saint Euthymius the Great

Euthymius the Great, along with Anthony, Macarius and Pachomius, was also nicknamed the Great, count pillar of desert life and one of the founders of the monastic community. Having many followers, he founded a monastery in the middle of the desert, where the saint's relics were buried after his death. Tradition has it that even after passing through the Kingdom of Heaven, Euthymius performed the same miracles as when he was alive.

Other church holidays are celebrated on February 2

Catholic Bible.

Signs for February 2

In Rus' February 2nd call “Efimyev's Day” or “Efimyev's Winter” because cold weather usually begins at this time.

When a cat scratches the floor, or chickens wag their tails incessantly – in the face of strong winds accompanied by snow; The wind howls in the chimney – the soul of the deceased is crying. A storm tears through the roof – deceased ancestors are angry; The sun is shining at noon – it will rain in the summer. Strong winds blow – it will be wet all year round.

Who was born on February 2

Valery Chkalov (1904-1938)

Soviet test pilot. In 1937, Chkalov traveled from Moscow to Vancouver (Washington State, USA). The importance of this event was great both from the point of view of flight and from the point of view of the development of Soviet-American relations: after the October Revolution, the United States for a long time refused to recognize the young Soviet state.

Shakira (49 years old)

One of the most popular Latin American singers who achieved success in the Spanish and English-language music markets in the early 2000s. Musician, dancer, music producer, choreographer and model. In her work, Shakira combines elements of pop music and rock and roll, as well as Latin American and Arabic motifs.

Someone else was born on February 2

Mikhail Frunze (1885-1925) – revolutionary and military leader of the Red Army; Valery Karpin (57 years old) – Russian football coach; Anastasia Davydova (43 years old) – Russian synchronized swimming athlete and coach; Gerard Pique (39 years old) – Spanish football player; Yulia Mikhalchik (41 years old) is a Russian singer.