1 May 2024
All States Regional holiday | Wednesday |
This international holiday is observed on May 1st. It is most commonly associated as a commemoration of the achievements of the labour movement. The holiday may also be known as International Workers Day or May Day and is marked with a public holiday in over 80 countries. The first May Day celebrations focused on workers took place on May 1st 1890 after its proclamation by the first international congress of socialist parties in Europe on July 14th 1889 in Paris, France, to dedicate May 1st every year as the "Workers Day of International Unity and Solidarity." The date was chosen due to events on the other side of the Atlantic. In 1884 the American Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions demanded an eight-hour workday, to come in effect as of May 1st 1886. This resulted in the general strike and the Haymarket (in Chicago) Riot of 1886, but eventually also in the official sanction of the eight-hour workday.
May 1st is celebrated as May Day in most countries around the world. In the United Kingdom and Ireland the bank holiday isnt fixed on May 1st but instead is observed on the first Monday of May. In the 20th century, the holiday received the official endorsement of the Soviet Union, and it is also celebrated as the Day of the International Solidarity of Workers, especially in some Communist states. Celebrations in communist countries during the Cold War era often consisted of large military parades with the latest weaponry being exhibited as well as shows of common people in support of the government.