How people celebrate May Day around the world

International Workers' Day (a name used interchangeably with May Day) is a celebration of the social and economic achievements of the international labour movement. May Day commonly sees organized street demonstrations by millions of working people and their labour unions throughout Europe and most of the rest of the world — though, as noted below, rarely in the United States and Canada. Communist and anarchist organizations and their affiliated unions universally conduct street marches on this day. Let's check the traditions in different countries in this day.

The Ex Soviet Union

May Day was an important official holiday of the Soviet Union, celebrated with elaborate popular parade in the centre of the major cities. It was first openly celebrated on May 1, 1917. The biggest celebration was traditionally organized on the Red Square, where the General Secretary of the CPSU and other party and government leaders were greeting the crowds from the Lenin's Mausoleum.

Eastern Bloc

Soviet type May Day parades were obligatory, leaders greeting the crowds. In Poland since 1982 party leaders led the official parades, anti-Communist counter-parades were also organised.

India

The first May Day celebration in India was organised in Madras by the Labour Kisan Party of Hindustan on May 1, 1923.This was also the first time the red flag was used in India. The party leader Singaravelu Chettiar made arrangements to celebrate May Day in two places in 1923. One meeting was held at the beach opposite to the Madras High Court; the other meeting was held at the Triplicane beach. The Hindu newspaper, published from Madras reported,

Nepal

May Day is celebrated in Nepal since 1963.

People's Republic of China

In the People's Republic of China, May 1 marks the start of one of the country's three "Golden Weeks". Three days off work are given, and one of the surrounding weekends is re-arranged so that workers in Chinese workplaces will have seven continuous days of holiday, starting on the first of May and ending on the seventh. This holiday, known as "Wu Yi" (五一, literally "5.1") also includes Youth Day on May 4, and is the peak period for Chinese citizens to travel around China and abroad. Starting 2008, May 1 "long holiday" has been shortened to 1 day. However, it is allowed that surrounding weekends to be re-arranged, for no more than 3 days.

Germany

May Day is a nationwide holiday in Germany. Traditionally, the day has a political connotation in most regions, and is also referred to as "Labor Day". Berlin witnesses yearly demonstrations on May Day, the largest organized by labour unions, political parties and others by the radical left and Autonomen.

Brazil

In Brazil, the Workers' Day is an official holiday, and unions commemorate it with day-long public events. It is also when salaries for most professional categories and the minimum wage are traditionally readjusted.

United States

The United States has its own Labor Day holiday, celebrated on the first Monday in September instead of on May Day. The U.S. version of Labor Day was a creation of the Knights of Labor, and was adopted officially in 1887 in an effort to disassociate labor activism from the radical left. Subsequent efforts to officially switch Labor Day to the international date of May 1 have failed. In 1958, President Dwight D. Eisenhower proclaimed May 1 both as Loyalty Day and as Law Day.

Despite the prevailing sentiment for observance of Labor Day in September, some unions and union locals in the United States — especially in urban areas with strong support for organized labor — have attempted to maintain a connection with more radical labor traditions through their own unofficial observances on May 1. Some of the largest examples of this occurred during the Great Depression of the 1930s when thousands of leftist workers marched in May Day parades in New York's Union Square.

[edit] Canada

While celebrations by more radical socialist, anarchist and anti-globalization activists may occur on May 1, the government of Prime Minister John Sparrow David Thompson declared the first Monday in September as Canada's official Labour Day in 1894.

United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom in recent years, the anti-capitalist movement has organised a number of large protests in London, Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Doncaster. In London, these have resulted in clashes with the police. (see footage May Day Footage) In 2000 the clashes ended with a branch of McDonalds being smashed and a statue of Winston Churchill being given a grass mohawk as a protest at his alleged crimes, the Cenotaph was also defaced with graffiti.

New Zealand and Australia

In New Zealand, Labour Day is a public holiday held on the fourth Monday in October — but the traditions of this October day are borne of International Workers' Day and are not the situation of Canada or the United States.

In Australia, the Labour Day public holiday is fixed by the various states and territories' governments. Depending on the territory in question, the celebrations involved may or may not be connected to International Workers' Day. The day is on the first Monday in October in the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales and South Australia, while in Western Australia, Labour Day is the first Monday in March, and in both Victoria and Tasmania, it is the second Monday in March (Tasmania calls it "Eight Hours Day"). In both Queensland and the Northern Territory the holiday is on the first Monday in May itself. ("May Day").

Nordic Countries

In Sweden, Finland, Norway and Iceland, Labour Day is a public holiday, celebrated by many different socialist parties and groups with political demonstrations and speeches. In Sweden and Finland, however, it merges with Walpurgis Night, a carnival-type festivity.

Hungary

May Day was officially celebrated under the Communist regime, and remains a public holiday. Traditionally, the day was marked by the dancing of May trees, which were danced around.