Knowledge Day, 1 September: history, traditions and interesting facts

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Knowledge Day, 1 September: history of the holiday, traditions, facts and records

The first of September is more than a school bell and an armful of asters. Behind the date sit almost a century of tradition, government decrees, world records and millions of families who leave home dressed for an occasion. Here is the full story of Knowledge Day — plus the practical part: how to choose footwear you can stand a school assembly in and still walk comfortably at the end of the day.

01.09 Tuesday · 2026

2026/2027 school year Runs from 1 September 2026 to 30 June 2027

Resolution No. 847 Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, 1 July 2026 — start of the school year under martial law

Format set locally Regional military administrations decide together with school founders

A note from the N-SHOES team

A bright autumn day full of smiles and flowers — a celebration for every child.

Happy Knowledge Day, and a happy new school year!

May this year bring a wealth of new discoveries. May every day be vivid, memorable and productive, filled with good results, new experience and a great mood.

Timeline

The history of Knowledge Day: from the September new year to the 1984 decree

A holiday that now feels timeless only became official in 1984 — while the single start date for the school year was fixed half a century earlier.

Before 1700

The new year began on 1 September

In the Byzantine church tradition the year opened on 1 September. For centuries the date carried the meaning of a fresh cycle — long before school assemblies and bells existed.

14 August 1930

Compulsory schooling from autumn

A decree established that children aged 8 to 10 were to begin school in the autumn. There was still no single calendar date: schools opened on different days.

3 September 1935

1 September becomes the single start date

A unified start of the academic year was introduced for all schools — 1 September, with different end dates for different grades. This is where the tradition begins, and in 2026 it turns 91.

15 June 1984

Knowledge Day becomes an official holiday

Decree No. 373-XI declared 1 September a nationwide holiday — Knowledge Day. It has been marked since 1984, and the first-bell and last-bell ceremonies took shape in the same period.

Since 1991

A Ukrainian meaning

Independent Ukraine kept the date but filled it with its own content: national symbols, embroidered vyshyvanka shirts, Ukrainian songs, and attention to the country's own history and language.

2022 — 2026

The holiday under martial law

Large outdoor assemblies gave way to short ceremonies, online formats and schedules built around bomb shelters. Resolution No. 847 of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, dated 1 July 2026, sets the 2026/2027 school year from 1 September 2026 to 30 June 2027, while regional military administrations and school founders decide how each community begins it.

How the day looks in Ukraine

Knowledge Day traditions

The school assembly

Classes line up in the schoolyard, the head teacher and staff speak, first-graders are welcomed. In wartime the assemblies are shortened or moved indoors, close to a shelter.

The first bell

A symbolic bell rung by a first-grader together with a graduating student. The custom took hold after the holiday received official status in 1984.

The first lesson

A themed class instead of the regular timetable. For 2026 the Ministry of Education and Science recommends the theme "The language of dignity".

Flowers — or instead of flowers

A bouquet for the teacher is still the norm, but more families now join "instead of flowers" campaigns and redirect the money to charity and support for the military.

Dressing for the occasion

A vyshyvanka, a classic suit, well-kept shoes. The first of September is one of the few days when a whole family dresses up at the same time.

A minute of silence

Since 2022 the day opens with remembrance of those killed in the war — a new part of the 1 September ritual.

Short and useful

Facts about 1 September

Knowledge Day is a working day. It is a holiday but not a day off: 1 September 2026 falls on a Tuesday.
When the date lands on a Sunday, the ceremonies are traditionally moved to the next working day.
The 1 September rule applies to schools. Universities set their own start date in line with their academic calendar.
The month's name does not match its number. Latin september means "seventh": in the early Roman calendar the year began in March.

Why asters and dahlias

The classic 1 September bouquet was shaped by horticulture rather than symbolism: these are the flowers in full bloom in early autumn, available in almost every garden.

The date is not universal

Starting the school year on 1 September is a regional norm, not a global one. Japan begins in April, Australia in late January, and in Germany the date depends on the federal state.

Guinness World Records

Records connected to school and Knowledge Day

61 345

pupils in one school

City Montessori School in Lucknow, India, as of 10 August 2023 — the largest school in the world by enrolment.

campuses in one city

That is how many sites the school runs across Lucknow. The opening lesson starts for tens of thousands of children at once.

pupils at the start in 1959

From five children in rented rooms to a world record. In 2002 it became the only school ever awarded the UNESCO Prize for Peace Education.

91 / 42

years of tradition and holiday

91 years since 1 September became the single start date for schooling (1935), and 42 years since Knowledge Day gained official status (1984).

Comparison

When the school year starts in other countries

Country	Start of the school year
Ukraine	1 September; in 2026/2027 the year runs from 1 September 2026 to 30 June 2027
Poland	1 September, or the first working day of the month
United Kingdom	Early September
Germany	Late July to mid-September, depending on the federal state
United States	Mid-August to early September, depending on the state and school district
Japan	April — the academic year matches the fiscal year
India	April to June, depending on the state
Australia	Late January to early February

The practical part

Shoes for 1 September: not only for pupils

N-SHOES does not carry a children's range — we dress adults. Yet children are not the only ones on their feet all day on 1 September: parents at the assembly, school and university teachers, and students spend eight to ten hours moving. This guide is written for them.

For parents at the assembly

Closed shoes or loafers, a heel up to 5 cm, a stable platform. A schoolyard means grass, cobblestones and asphalt, where a stiletto turns a celebration into an endurance test.

For teachers and lecturers

A full day standing: full-grain leather, an anatomical or removable insole, a flexible sole, a 2–4 cm heel and the correct width. Width is what decides how your feet feel by the evening.

For students

Leather or suede sneakers that work with both smart and casual outfits. Keep a pair of mid-season boots ready too — September mornings are already cool.

Getting the size right in 5 steps

Measure your foot length in centimetres in the evening — feet expand by 3–5% over the day.
Match those centimetres against the size chart of the specific model rather than trusting your usual number.
Check the width: a narrow last will rub even in the correct length.
Read the notes in the product card — some models run small, and we say so in the description.
Try shoes on with the socks or tights you will actually wear them with.

Early September weather

The first half of the month in Ukraine is warm by day and cool in the morning — exactly when assemblies take place. The sensible choice is:

closed shoes, loafers or sneakers rather than summer sandals;
a thin textile lining — warm at 8 a.m., not hot at noon;
a slip-resistant sole in case of rain;
a mid-season pair prepared in advance for the first cold spell.

N-SHOES catalogue

Picks for the new academic year

Women's shoes and loafers

Leather and suede classics for the assembly, the office and everyday wear.

Men's formal shoes

Derbies, oxfords and loafers in leather — for a suit and for a celebration dress code.

Everyday sneakers

Comfortable pairs for long days on the move: leather, suede, a light flexible sole.

Mid-season boots

Getting ready for October early: brushed lining, a stable sole, full-grain leather.

Brands we carry

Rylko Simen Lonza Nessi Allsy Anna Lucci N-SHOES Fabio Grunberg Reebok Joma DC Shoes

Questions and answers

What to know about Knowledge Day 2026

When does the 2026/2027 school year start in Ukraine?

On 1 September 2026, with 30 June 2027 as the latest possible end date, under Resolution No. 847 of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine dated 1 July 2026. How each community begins the year is decided by the regional military administrations together with school founders, based on the security situation.

Is Knowledge Day a public day off?

No. It is a national holiday but a working day: 1 September 2026 falls on a Tuesday.

When did 1 September become a holiday?

The single start date for all schools was fixed in 1935. The date became the official Knowledge Day only in 1984, under the decree of 15 June 1984.

Does N-SHOES sell children's school shoes?

No. The store works with an adult range only — women's and men's footwear. For 1 September we suggest looking at models for parents, teachers, lecturers and students.

What should a teacher who stands all day wear?

Full-grain leather with a textile lining, a 2–4 cm heel or a stable platform, a flexible sole, a removable or anatomical insole, and the right width. Width, not length, is the most common cause of discomfort by the end of the day.

Happy new academic year

Meet 1 September in shoes you never have to think about

N-SHOES has been trading since 2009: women's and men's footwear from Polish and Ukrainian factories, honest size charts in every product card, and help with choosing your size. Online across Ukraine, offline at the N-SHOES store in the KLAS shopping centre, Kharkiv.

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2026-08-01 00:01:00

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