International Workers' Day

On May 1st every year, we celebrate the fruits of hard-working men and women around the globe, and we celebrate the struggles the working class has endured to achieve its rights and freedoms, working conditions, such as working eight hours a day, fair wages and gender equality in the workplace.

Although a widely national holiday, International Workers' Day is historically associated with communist ideology and the fight against capitalism. In the Soviet Union, this anniversary was one of the most important public celebrations of the year, when communist governments held grand military and civilian parades to demonstrate the strength of the ruling class.

History of International Workers' Day

International Workers' Day, also known as Labor Day or May Day, falls on May 1 and is a holiday in more than 80 countries. It is to honor the contributions of workers, promote their rights and celebrate the labor movement.

While May Day was also a holiday to mark the arrival of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, it became associated with union activism in the late 19th century. Protests and strikes took place around the world on this day, sometimes leading to clashes with the police. The Catholic Church established the feast of Saint Joseph the Worker on May 1st, 1955.

How to celebrate International Workers' Day

While much of the world observes International Workers' Day on May 1st, the United States celebrates International Workers' Day on the first Monday in September. It was declared a national holiday in 1894, following the decades of workers' rights movements in the United States that led to the holiday becoming an official federal holiday. This movement is promoted by labor unions and their members, especially in the industrial sectors of the economy such as manufacturing, mining, textiles and construction workers.