May 1 holiday

The first of May is celebrated in many countries around the world. In the original version, the name of the holiday sounded like the Day of International Solidarity of Workers, but at present it is called so only in Ukraine. In Russia and Tajikistan this date is called the Holiday of Spring and Labor, 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 shows 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 participants of the rally were killed and seriously injured. The incident sparked massive 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 witness for the prosecution managed to confess that he had slandered the convicts, but 5 of them had already been executed. For the remaining 3 workers, the death sentence was replaced with a long hard labor. In the end, it turned out that the accused were indeed innocent.

Later, in memory of these vain victims, May 1 was declared the Day of Solidarity of the Workers of the World. On May 1, 1890, the working class demanded the introduction of an eight-hour working day. The demand was granted, as a result of which American workers began to celebrate this holiday every year.

Gradually, the May Day or May Day holiday came to other countries of the world, including Russia, again, after demonstrations and satisfaction of workers' demands for a revision of working conditions. At present, Mayovkas have lost their political connotation. The holiday is celebrated annually in many countries of the world on May 1 or on the first Monday of May.

May 1 in the USSR

The photo shows how May 1 was celebrated in Soviet times.

In the days of the USSR, May 1 was celebrated on a larger scale than at the present time: music sounded in the squares and park areas, people put on smart clothes, painted colorful posters in advance, inflated balloons, 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.

At present, May Day is celebrated more modestly than in the days of the USSR, but the mood of the holiday is still tangible in the squares and in places of public recreation. Those who wish participate in demonstrations and folk festivals 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 how to spend this day, everyone decides for himself.