International Labour Day: Celebrations, history, and all you need to know

May 1 is celebrated as a public holiday around the world to celebrate the contributions of workers on the International Labour Day. The day celebrates the struggles of workers around the world to create a workplace that recognises the dignity of labour.

It is also referred to as the eight-hour day movement, which was a struggle that demanded eight hours for work, eight hours for recreation, and eight hours for rest. Labour Day celebrations are associated with socialist political movements around the world that demand equity in the workplace.

The first Labour Day celebrations

The first Labour Day was celebrated on May 1, 1889 as the International Workers Day. The celebrations were declared by an international federation of trade unions and socialist groups to commemorate the Haymarket Riot in Chicago.

The riots are also known as the Haymarket Affair, which occurred in 1886. The riot started as a peaceful march that demanded an eight-hour workday but later turned into a violent clash between the protesters and the police forces.

Different names, same meaning

While May 1 is celebrated around the world to signify the achievements of workers, in some countries, it is celebrated on a different date, often one that is linked with the labour movement in that particular country. For example, Bangladesh celebrates April 24 as Labour safety day in memory of workers that died in Rana Plaza building collapse. It also celebrates May 1 as Labours' Day.

In most countries, labour is synonymous with International Workers Day. In Japan, for instance, Labour Day is officially celebrated with Thanksgiving on 23 November as Labour Thanksgiving Day.

Whereas in China, May 1 is a statutory holiday. It is celebrated with a three-day holiday and is often complemented with an extra time off.

May Day and MayDay

It is important not to confuse May Day with Mayday. While the former marks the celebration of the struggle of the working class around the world, the latter refers to a distress call. Mayday is an emergency "procedure word" used by aviators, mariners, firefighters, and police forces.

History of May Day

Historically, May Day was celebrated as a rural festival to celebrate the return of spring in Europe. This was linked with agricultural rituals and was primarily celebrated by the Greeks and the Romans. However, in the 20th century, traditional May Day celebrations declined and were replaced with international holiday to honour workers.