The history of May Day has changed a lot throughout history. For many countries in the world, May Day is still a special occasion. Depending on the country’s history, this day is associated either with the start of spring or with the fight for workers’ rights.
In European countries, May Day is the festival that celebrates the arrival of spring on May 1. People in Ancient Greece celebrated the festival dedicated to Chloris, the goddess of flowers and spring. In Ancient Rome, they had a similar celebration to honour the goddess Flora. May Day is celebrated all over the world in many countries. It is an important holiday in the United Kingdom, India, Romania, Sweden, and Norway. Some countries even celebrate the night before May Day called the Walpurgis Night. These countries include Estonia, Germany, Sweden, and Finland. The celebration is named after an English missionary Saint Walpurga, and people celebrate with large bonfires and dancing. Long ago, in the Middle Ages, people of Scotland and Ireland celebrated the Festival of Beltane or the Day of Fire. They had large bonfires and dances at night to celebrate the coming of summer and fertility of land. Some people are starting to celebrate Beltane again.
Last century, May Day became an important day to celebrate labour in many communist and socialist countries. Otherwise known as International Workers’ Day, it is a celebration of labourers and the working classes, promoted by the international labour movements, socialists, and communists. It takes place on May 1 every year matching the Celtic spring festival. The event originates from the labour union movement, particularly the eight-hour day movement that supports eight hours for work, eight hours for recreation, and eight hours for rest. May Day has been an important celebration with demonstrations by different socialist, communist, and labour groups. It is an official holiday in China, North Korea, and SIC countries and typically features vibrant parades in the streets.
In Russia, May 1 is also known as the Holiday of Spring and Labour. It is an official public holiday when people either remember the political context of the celebration and participate in different parades or go outside to have fun and spend quality time with their families and friends. Many people who lived in the USSR still remember the original name of the holiday - the Day of International Solidarity of Workers. It was a symbol of revolution, class struggle, and freedom. May 1 featured energetic demonstrations with people carrying portraits of politicians and waving placards with slogans.
Did you know?
- May 1 is celebrated in many European countries including Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden; it is a holiday in Central America (Costa Rica, Panama), Cuba, and Mexico. South American countries celebrate it as well (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela). May 1 is a national holiday in Russia and Asian countries (China, Thailand, Vietnam).
- International Workers’ Day originated in the 19th century USA after a movement to establish an 8-hour work day. Many countries today still hold parades, speeches, and protests on May 1. Interestingly, International Workers’ Day has completely lost its political flavour in the USA, where it initially began.
- The so-called Haymarket Affair, a violent confrontation between police and labour protesters in Chicago on May 4, 1886, became a symbol of the international struggle for workers’ rights and was officially associated with International Workers’ Day.