Oh Dear I thought May 1st holiday too in US

[Oversea Visitor]

Bad bad me wrong :rofl:
Why does US not celebrate Labour Day?

[Starbucks Anarchist]

1. We do.

It's in September.

[babylonsister]

2. We do, but in September. nt

[Coexist]

3. actually, when my kids were younger,

on May Day, we used to make paper cones, fill them with flowers, and hang them from our neighbors door handles.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

5. Yes! We did, too

we used paper covered cans. In NJ, lilacs were in bloom and lilies of the valley. It was great fun and has stayed with me all these years.

[Coexist]

7. It was a lot of fun - great memories!

I'm glad I'm not alone.

[yorkiemommie1]

16. and in Hawai'i it's called Lei Day

everyone wears flower leis. it was always a happy day for us!

[Coexist]

21. how beautiful it must be to see everyone decked like that.

[yorkiemommie1]

25. Here's pix of previous Lei Days

of course, when we were kids we just strung some plumerias on some thread but lei-making has gotten very sophisticated since then!

http://www.honolulu.gov/parks/programs/leiday/photogallery.htm

[JDPriestly]

20. I remember that too.

It was so much fun.

[Oversea Visitor]

4. Hmm

May 1st not Labour Day in US?
Hmm Labour Day different in US.

[Junkdrawer]

6. We do September because May 1st is a Commie holiday...

:sarcasm:

[Junkdrawer]

12. From Wikipedia

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.

Due to these left-wing overtones, May Day has long been a focal point for demonstrations by various socialist, communist, and anarchist groups. In some circles, bonfires are lit in commemoration of the Haymarket Riot usually right as the first day of May begins<1>. In the 20th century, May Day received the official endorsement of the Soviet Union; celebrations in communist countries during the Cold War era often consisted of large military parades and shows of common people in support of the government.

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".

Canada, Australia, and New Zealand celebrate their Labor Day on different dates, which has to do with how the holiday originated in those countries; see also Loyalty Day and Law Day, U.S.A.
]/i]

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

[Bridget Burke]

8. Because May 1st is too "Commie" for the USA....

"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."

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

The "Red Scare" in the USA caused Labor Day's move to September. Now, Labor Day means the unofficial end of summer. "Labor" is forgotten. May 1st is now known as "Law Day" or "Loyalty Day" in the USA.

[papau]

13. Haymarket Riot entry at wiki - does not mention claim that wealthy owners

hired someone to throw the explosive at the stage.

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

As to the USA's love of labour, in the Pullman strike Federal Troops were called out to put it down.

We have a long tradiction in the US of "those that pay call the tune" - meaning the rich run everything. Indeed many of our founding fathers had nothing but distain for the "rabble" that were in Washington's Army and who were the vast majority of the population.

[Junkdrawer]

14. The Labor movement in the US was co-opted, then crushed...

The beginning of the end was when it became all about getting the highest pay for the most senior members. It then became fairly easy to convince the junior workers to drop the unions.

Of course, moving factories to non-union states and then countries was and is the big killer.

Too bad. Organized Labor is the only credible force to oppose Corporate Power that I see.

[papau]

24. Only in countries with a strong union media voice is there real freedom of

expression, IMHO. And you need a strong union presence in order to afford the media.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

15. Loyalty Day?

I better get my shit together! :scared:

[laruemtt]

9. it's Labour Day here

in st. lucia today. everything's closed. good music in the streets.

[acmejack]

10. Because the US has nothing but contempt for "labor"

Oh sure we pay lip service to "hard working men and women", but really, we all know that the idle rich is what we aspire to be.

[malaise]

11. Good question

most of the rest of the world celebrates in May

Edit -add.

[The Jacobin]

17. Oh Lord, no.

That's WAY too red communist for us good god fearing americans.

[anarch]

18. yeesh...between the pagan and the communist associations,

May 1 doesn't stand a chance as a holiday in the U.S.

Happy Beltane and May Day, comrades!

[peekaloo]

19. Chimp in Charge has proclaimed today "Law Day".

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x1064131

[niyad]

22. PAGANS celebrate May Day--only it is called Beltane, the first of the

fire festivals.

[Coexist]

23. ever read, The Mists of Avalon?

it is a replay of the Arthurian legend through a feminine perspective, and they make Beltane out to be a little bawdy! Sounded like a lot of fun.