September 10 brings together an unusual mix of observances around the world, from a tongue-in-cheek day blaming the Large Hadron Collider for lost belongings to International Makeup Day, alongside Orthodox Christian feast days and the birthdays of fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld and film director Guy Ritchie.
Blame the Large Hadron Collider Day
The unusual holiday was created in 2008 as a lighthearted way to explain the sudden disappearance of everyday items, something almost everyone has experienced at some point. People who mark the day jokingly insist that the Large Hadron Collider is responsible whenever an object goes missing.
The Large Hadron Collider is the world's most powerful particle accelerator, located in Europe. Despite assurances from scientists that it is safe, some people believe its operation could create black holes and destroy Earth.
International Makeup Day
International Makeup Day is a relatively young observance that began in 2016. It was started by American makeup artist and beauty vlogger James Charles, who wanted to encourage people to experiment with makeup and show that it can do more than cover flaws, it can also highlight individuality.
Other world observances
September 10 is also marked as World Suicide Prevention Day, Alpaca Day, the Day of Colorful Bouquets, and Teacher's Day in China.
Orthodox feast day: St. Sava of Krypetsky
Orthodox believers honor the memory of St. Sava of Krypetsky on September 10. He arrived in Russia in the middle of the 15th century, though it is not known for certain whether he came from Serbia or from Mount Athos.
He first lived in a monastery before taking a vow of silence and withdrawing alone into the Krypetsky wilderness. Years later, other monks persuaded him to establish a monastery there. He agreed, but did not want to lead it himself.
Residents of Pskov regularly sought him out, and Sava healed and counseled them without accepting payment or gifts. Among his visitors was the local prince, Yaroslav Vasilievich Obolensky. According to tradition, Sava continued to protect the monastery even after his death, and his fearsome spirit was said to frighten off robbers and thieves. His relics reportedly could not be found until he appeared in a monk's dream.
Other Orthodox commemorations
The Orthodox calendar also marks the feast of the righteous Anna the Prophetess, the uncovering of the relics of St. Job of Pochaev, the feast of St. Moses the Ethiopian, a hieromonk, the feast of the hieromartyr Alexy Budrin, a presbyter, and the council of the venerable fathers of the Kiev Caves resting in the Far Caves, including St. Theodosius.
Folk traditions and omens
In the folk calendar, September 10 is known as the day of Anna and Sava the Stackers. This was traditionally when peasants finished harvesting grain and piled hay into large stacks known as skirdy. The day was believed to mark the start of long autumn rains.
If only the lower leaves of a birch tree had turned yellow by September 10, folklore held that spring would arrive early the following year. Tradition also warned that young women should not visit suitors on this day, as it could bring bad luck to a future marriage, and matchmaking was likewise discouraged. A good deed done on this day was said to be returned twofold.
Notable birthdays: Karl Lagerfeld and Guy Ritchie
Karl Lagerfeld (1933-2019) was a German fashion designer who worked for brands including Fendi, Chanel and Chloe. In 1984 he founded his own label under his own name. Widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the fashion industry, he was often called the king of fashion. In 2023, the Met Gala, one of the fashion world's most talked-about events, was dedicated to his legacy.
Guy Ritchie, who turns 58, is a British director known for comedic action films, including Snatch, The Gentlemen, Wrath of Man and the two-part Sherlock Holmes series starring Robert Downey Jr. In 2024, his film The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare topped the Russian box office.
Other birthdays
Other notable figures born on September 10 include Vladimir Arsenyev (1872-1930), a Russian explorer of the Far East; Joe Perry, who turns 76, an American guitarist and co-founder of Aerosmith; Larisa Dolina, who turns 71, a Russian singer; Colin Firth, who turns 66, a British actor; and Yegor Letov (1964-2008), a Russian musician and frontman of the band Grazhdanskaya Oborona.
