a little history : May Day, time to take it back ?

[tocqueville]

International Workers' Day

International Workers' Day (a name used interchangeably with May Day) is the commemoration of the Haymarket Riot of 1886 in Chicago, Illinois, and a celebration of the social and economic achievements of the international labor movement. The 1 May date is used because in 1884 the Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions, inspired by labor's 1872 success in Canada, demanded an eight-hour workday in the United States to come in effect as of May 1, 1886. This resulted in a general strike and the riot in Chicago of 1886, but eventually also in the official sanction of the eight-hour workday. The May Day Riots of 1894 and May Day Riots of 1919 occurred subsequently.

The Red Scare periods ended May Day as a mass holiday in the United States, a phenomenon which can be seen as somewhat ironic given that May Day originated in Chicago. Meanwhile, in countries other than the United States and United Kingdom, resident working classes fought hard to make May Day an official governmentally-sanctioned holiday, efforts which eventually largely succeeded. For this reason, May Day in most of the world today is marked by huge street rallies of workers led by their trade unions and various large socialist and communist parties — a phenomenon not generally seen in the U.S. (which has a history of strong anti-communism) or the UK.

In most countries other than the U.S. and UK, May Day is often referred to simply as "Labor Day".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_day

[Heidi]

1. As I understand it, Labor Day here really has

nothing to do with communism or socialism, in the modern mindset at least. In Switzerland, it's observed just like Labor Day is observed in the US: with a day off of work. As the granddaughter of a non-union coal miner, and the daughter of teachers in a US state where it was illegal for educators to organize for contract negotiations, any Labor Day anywhere has special meaning to me. I have a good life in part because of the sacrifices and labor of my ancestors.

:hi:

[tocqueville]

2. in today's Europe, it has little to do with communism...

it's mostly a day where unions and social-democratic parties rally symbolically, people have a day of. But it can turn to a huge demonstration if the political situation demands it. For example 1st of May 2002 took a special dimension since the extreme right winger LePen came in as a second in the presidential election. May Day came in between the 1st and nd turn and millions of mostly young people turned to the streets to show their defiance to Le Pens xenophobia.