International Pageant Day

 

International Pageant Day has been observed every April 8 since 2018. This holiday celebrates beauty pageants, as well as all women around the world who compete in them to win the coveted title and crown.

Beauty pageants, also known as beauty contests, are competitions where women are judged based on their beauty, both physical and inner. Although pageants originally focused on the physical attractiveness of the contestants, they have evolved to include other aspects, such as talent, intelligence, personality, character, and involvement in charity.

The roots of beauty pageants can be traced back to medieval May Day celebrations in the British Isles, which included the selection of a May Queen. The first known modern beauty pageant was held in 1839. It was part of the Eglinton Tournament, a re-enactment of a medieval joust what was organized by Archibald Montgomerie, 13th Earl of Eglinton, and took place at his castle in Scotland.

The first modern pageant in the United States was organized by P. T. Barnum in 1854, but it was quickly shut down due to public protest. The popularity of beauty contests started to rise in the 1880s, but these events still weren’t considered as respectable.

The attitude towards beauty pageants began to change in the 1920s following the launch of the Miss America pageant. First held in 1921, Miss America is the world’s oldest beauty pageant that is still in operation today. It should not be confused with Miss USA, which was established more than three decades later.

The first international beauty contest was the International Pageant of Pulchritude. It was held in Galveston, Texas every year between 1926 and 1935. The active development of international beauty pageants began after World War II.

Miss World, the world’s longest-running international beauty contest, was launched in 1951. It was followed by Miss Universe (established in 1952) and Miss International (established in 1960). The youngest of the so-called Big Four international beauty pageants, Miss Earth, was created in 2001.

Although beauty pageants have been criticized for putting pressure on women to conform to conventional standards of beauty and reinforcing the idea that a women’s primary purpose is to be physically attractive, subjecting women to objectification, and a lack of diversity, among other things, they do have a positive side.

Many pageant contestants have said that participation helped them overcome shyness and build confidence, make new social connections, improve their public speaking skills, and get involved in charitable work and volunteering. In addition, participation in international pageants gives women an opportunity to represent the culture of their home countries, speak out against xenophobia and racism, and promote peace and mutual understanding.

International Pageant Day was created to educate people of the positive impact of beauty pageants and to promote reform in the beauty entertainment industry in order to make it more inclusive and less toxic.