The first of May is celebrated in many countries around the world. In the original version, the name of the holiday sounded like International Workers' Day, but currently it is called that only in Ukraine. In Russia and Tajikistan this date is called the Spring and Labor Festival, in Kazakhstan - the Holiday of the Unity of the People of Kazakhstan, and in the USA, China, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus and a number of other countries its name sounds like Labor Day.
The history of the holiday
The picture depicts the protest of the working class against unbearable working conditions and the dispersal of demonstrators by the authorities.
On April 21, 1956, the Australian labor movement demanded that the working day be reduced to 8 hours. Their demand was granted, resulting in a holiday celebrated annually by the working class.
Following the example of Australian workers, anarchist organizations in Canada and the United States also staged a number of protests and demonstrations. During the dispersal of protesters in Chicago, some rally participants were killed and seriously injured. The incident sparked widespread protests against police brutality. One of the protesters organized an explosion, as a result of which some servants of the law were killed and injured.
Eight demonstrators were accused of organizing the explosion and sentenced to death. A prosecution witness managed to admit that he had slandered the convicts, but 5 of them had already been executed. For the remaining 3 workers, the death sentence was commuted to long hard labor. In the end it turned out that the accused were indeed innocent.
Later, in memory of these needless victims, May 1 was declared the Day of Solidarity of Workers of the World. On May 1, 1890, the working class demanded the introduction of an eight-hour working day. The demand was satisfied, as a result of which American workers began to celebrate this holiday every year.
Gradually, the holiday of May Day or May Day came to other countries around the world, including Russia, again, after demonstrations and the satisfaction of workers’ demands for a revision of working conditions. Currently, May Day protests have lost their political overtones. The holiday is celebrated annually in many countries around the world on May 1 or the first Monday of May.
May 1 in the USSR
The photo shows how May 1 was celebrated in Soviet times.
During the Soviet era, May 1 was celebrated on a larger scale than in modern times: music was played in squares and park areas, people put on smart clothes, drew colorful posters in advance, inflated balloons, and raised flags. Political participation was also more tangible.
How May 1 is celebrated in modern Russia
The picture shows a parade in honor of May 1 in modern Russia.
Nowadays, May Day is celebrated more modestly than in Soviet times, but the holiday mood is still palpable in squares and public recreation areas. Those who wish to participate in demonstrations and public festivities together with friends, work colleagues and their families, while others prefer outdoor recreation and a picnic. In any case, May 1 is an official holiday, so everyone decides for themselves how to spend this day.
