Russia marked the Day of Operational Search Units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, or MVD, on August 25, 2026, an annual observance honoring officers who carry out covert surveillance work to help detect and solve crimes.
The units trace their origins to August 12, 1902 on the old Julian calendar, or August 25 on the modern Gregorian calendar, when external surveillance was split off as an independent line of work within the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Officers in these units carry out covert surveillance and tailing operations that support investigators in other branches of the police, and the MVD says the divisions remain a key part of its crime-detection system today.
Moscow Trolleybus Closure Marked
August 25 also marks the anniversary of the closure of the Moscow trolleybus network, one of several informal dates Russians observe alongside the official police holiday.
Kiss and Make Up Day
Internationally, August 25 is celebrated as Kiss and Make Up Day, a lighthearted holiday invented by a woman named Jacqueline Milgate to give people who have quarreled a reason to reconcile. Scientists say kissing has genuine health benefits, releasing endorphins, often called happiness hormones, while lowering levels of cortisol, the hormone associated with stress.
Whiskey Sour Day
The date is also marked as Whiskey Sour Day, celebrating the cocktail made by mixing whiskey with lemon juice, sugar and whipped egg white. The drink is notably strong, with a sharp citrus flavor.
The exact origin of the whiskey sour is not known for certain. As early as the beginning of the 18th century, British sailors added citrus juice to alcohol to prevent scurvy, and similar sugared cocktails later became popular on land as well. The first known print reference to the whiskey sour by name appeared in 1870 in a newspaper in Wisconsin.
Other World Observances
Other unofficial holidays marked around the world on August 25 include:
- The birthday of the tin can
- Tree Climbing Day
- Soldier's Day in Brazil
- Independence Day in Uruguay
Orthodox Church Calendar
On the Orthodox Church calendar, August 25 is the day of remembrance for the martyrs Photius and Aniketos. According to church tradition, Aniketos and his nephew Photius were born in Nicomedia, in what is now Izmit, Turkey. Aniketos, a military dignitary, openly denounced Emperor Diocletian for ordering mass killings of Christians in the city square, and the emperor had him tortured and then thrown to lions.
Tradition holds that the animals did not harm the saint. A powerful earthquake then struck, collapsing a temple to Hercules and injuring many of the pagans gathered there, and further attempts to kill Aniketos also failed. He and Photius were eventually imprisoned, and when Diocletian ordered a huge furnace lit, many Christians inspired by their faith are said to have stepped into the flames alongside the two saints, prompting other pagans present to convert.
August 25 also falls within the Dormition Fast, during which observers are directed by church rules to eat hot food without oil, while abstaining from meat, fish, dairy, eggs and alcohol. The Orthodox calendar also marks the memory of:
- Hieromartyr Alexander, Bishop of Comana
- Martyrs Pamphilus and Capito
- The venerable martyrs of Belogorsk
- Hieromartyr Vasily Infantiev
Folk Beliefs for the Day
Russian folk tradition attaches several weather omens to August 25:
- A rainy day is said to promise a short Indian summer
- A cat that washes itself more thoroughly and for longer than usual is taken as a sign the sun will break through the clouds
- A warm, clear day is said to foretell a rich harvest of porcini mushrooms
- Croaking frogs and moles emerging from their burrows are believed to predict rain
Notable Birthdays
Director and animator Tim Burton, known for his distinctive gothic visual style, dark humor and eccentric aesthetic, turns 68 on August 25.
Burton's films include Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, Big Fish and Sleepy Hollow, alongside animated features such as The Nightmare Before Christmas and Frankenweenie. He also directed two Batman films that were long regarded as the best comic-book adaptations of their time and remain highly rated by critics today.
Actress Blake Lively, best known for her role in the teen drama series Gossip Girl as well as films including The Age of Adaline and A Simple Favor, turns 39. In August 2024, Lively and her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, set a record by becoming the first married couple in Hollywood in 34 years to each have a film top the box office, with Reynolds starring in Deadpool & Wolverine and Lively in the adaptation of the bestselling novel It Ends With Us.
Others born on August 25 include Soviet film director Georgiy Daneliya (1930-2019), British actor Sean Connery (1930-2020), Soviet and Russian actress Margarita Terekhova, 84, German supermodel and actress Claudia Schiffer, 56, and Swedish actor Alexander Skarsgard, 50.
