May Day, also called Workers’ Day or International Workers’ Day, day commemorating the historic struggles and gains made by workers and the labour movement, observed in many countries on May 1. In the United States and Canada a similar observance, known as Labor Day, occurs on the first Monday of September. May Day is celebrated on Sunday, May 1, 2022. In 1889 an international federation of socialist groups and trade unions designated May 1 as a day in support of workers, in commemoration of the Haymarket Riot in Chicago (1886). Five years later, U.S. Pres. Grover Cleveland, uneasy with the socialist origins of Workers’ Day, signed legislation to make Labor Day—already held in some states on the first Monday of September—the official U.S. holiday in honour of workers. Canada followed suit not long afterward.

In Europe May 1 was historically associated with rural pagan festivals (see May Day), but the original meaning of the day was gradually replaced by the modern association with the labour movement. In the Soviet Union, leaders embraced the new holiday, believing it would encourage workers in Europe and the United States to unite against capitalism. The day became a significant holiday in the Soviet Union and in the Eastern-bloc countries, with high-profile parades, including one in Moscow’s Red Square presided over by top government and Communist Party functionaries, celebrating the worker and showcasing Soviet military might. In Germany Labour Day became an official holiday in 1933 after the rise of the Nazi Party. Ironically, Germany abolished free unions the day after establishing the holiday, virtually destroying the German labour movement.

With the breakup of the Soviet Union and the fall of communist governments in eastern Europe in the late 20th century, large-scale May Day celebrations in that region declined in importance. In dozens of countries around the world, however, May Day has been recognized as a public holiday, and it continues to be celebrated with picnics and parties while serving as the occasion for demonstrations and rallies in support of workers.

Labor Day in the U.S.

While much of the world observes a workers’ holiday on May 1, the United States holds Labor Day on the first Monday in September. This was made a national holiday in 1894, following workers’ rights movements in the U.S. in the decades leading up to its creation as an official federal holiday. The movement was fueled by labor unions and their members, especially in industrial sectors of the economy such as manufacturing, mining, textile makers, and construction workers.

Understanding International Workers’ Day

Although Americans celebrate Labor Day in September and associate it with barbecues rather than class struggles, International Workers’ Day has strong links to events in the U.S.

In July 1889, Second International, a global organization of socialist parties and trade unions, established May 1 as International Workers’ Day and planned protests demanding an eight-hour workday. May 1 was chosen because an American delegate said the American Federation of Labor had planned a demonstration on that day the following year. The Americans were commemorating the pivotal Haymarket Square Rally held in May 1886 in Chicago, U.S. International Workers’ Day wasn’t intended to be an annual event, but due to its remarkable success in 1890, Second International made it one. Although it started with demands to reduce the number of hours of manual labor required of workers, it continued to be observed even after that goal was achieved in many major industrial nations.

Ancient Spring Celebrations

May 1 is also May Day, an ancient celebration of spring and the rebirth taking place in nature in the Northern Hemisphere. Many ancient customs associated with the day come from the old Roman festival of Floralia, where the people wore colorful clothes and were pelted with beans and flowers; symbols of fertility. Also the ancient Greeks had traditions to welcome spring: Protomagia. It’s still celebrated on May 1 in Greece. Traditions include decorating doors with wreaths made from handpicked flowers to welcome the power of nature and upcoming summer into the home.

Beltane Bonfires in the UK

In the United Kingdom, more than 2000-year-old May Day traditions are still alive in many towns and villages. The ancient Celts welcomed spring during Beltane by lighting bonfires or the ‘fire of Belt.’ Its fertility rituals have carried through to today, including crowning a May Queen and dancing around a Maypole.

The May Day Bank Holiday was instituted in the UK in 1978 for trade unionists to celebrate. It was, however, held on the first Monday in May to minimize the damage to businesses.

Spring and Workers Combined in Finland

It seems like the Finns have perfected the amalgamation of pagan spring celebrations, Catholic traditions, and the celebration of students and workers in a holiday they call vappu. The name Vappu comes from the saint Walpurga. She was made a saint on May 1, 870 CE, and the night between April 30 to May 1 became Walpurgis Night.May 1 is International Workers’ Day in Finland and the end of the school year for students. To keep things simple, the Finns have combined all of the traditions into a day to dress up in outrageous outfits, drink sima (fruity alcohol), and eat munkki (flavored doughnuts) and tippaleipä (funnel cakes). In other words, a day off to party.

In India

In India, the first formal celebration of Labour Day was instigated by the Labour Kisan Party of Hindustan in Chennai (known as Madras) on 1 May 1923. It is observed as a holiday in Assam, Bihar, Goa, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Manipur, Tamil Nadu, Tripura and West Bengal. It is celebrated as Antarrashtriya Shramik Diwas and is also known as Kamgar Din in Hindi, Kamgar Divas in Marathi and Uzhaipalar Dhinam in Tamil.