May Day

May Day is a name for holidays celebrated on May 1 in most industrialized countries related to labour, known as the Labour Day in some countries, or as Day of the International Solidarity of Workers, especially in some Communist states.

The holiday generally commemorates the social and economic achievements of the labor movement. The May 1st date is used because in 1884, the American Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions proclaimed its demand for an eight-hour workday, to come in effect as of May 1, 1886. This resulted in the general strike and the Haymarket Riot of 1886, but eventually also in the official sanction of this position.

As such, May Day has long been a focal point for demonstrations by various Communist, socialist, and anarchist groups.

Curiously enough, Canada and the United States celebrate Labor Day on a different date; May 1st is Loyalty Day in the U.S. Another notable exception is the Netherlands.

May Day also marks the springtime celebrations such as:

• Walpurgis Night in Northern Europe
• Beltane in Ireland
• Roodmas

Traditional English May Day rites and celebrations include Morris dancing, crowning a May Queen, and dancing around a Maypole.

These holidays were also respected by some early European settlers of the American continent.