This Day in History: May 1st

To those who live in the States May 1st isn’t special in any way—it’s just like any other day of the week. If you are a European, you know it as Labor Day. You must’ve been observing it since childhood: who wouldn’t want a day off school or work?

I was surprised that the roots of the Labor Day holiday trace back to the United States. Here’s an interesting excerpt from Wikipedia:

The holiday is most often associated with the commemoration of the social and economic achievements of the labor movement. The May 1st date is used because in 1884 the Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions demanded an eight-hour workday in the United States, to come in effect as of May 1, 1886. This resulted in the general strike and the U.S. Haymarket Riot of 1886, but eventually also in the official sanction of the eight-hour workday.

May Day is designated International Workers Day. It is indeed a thoroughly international holiday; and the United States is one of the few countries in the world where pressure from local working classes has not led to an official holiday. In the 20th century, the holiday 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.

There is some suggestion that Labor Day in the United States was created specifically to avoid commemoration of May Day. The adoption of May Day by communists and socialists as their primary holiday cements official resistance to Labor Day and similar non-May Day celebrations, which they view as being controlled by the ruling class.

The thought that the US holds its own Labor Day to avoid the date clash with communists sounds credible (the world will never run out of bulls##t).

Now, a quick read on the Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions turns up something interesting too:

Founded in 1881 […] its original goals were to encourage the formation of trade unions and to obtain legislation, such as prohibition of child labor, a national eight hour day, and exclusion of foreign contract workers.

Note the exclusion of foreign contract workers (racial profiling will never stop here either). Anyway, the other two goals— abolition of child labor and eight-hour work days—sound like a very noble cause.

Ironically, somewhere in the maze of history, the unions dropped the ball and became America’s abomination.

If you do observe the Labor Day—enjoy it. If not, wait for your turn till September. ;)

Interesting. But in our tradition, In our goulash socialism (special term:), the advent of labour was reason to drinking beer from early morning for everybody, and for establishment -it's was the test of loyalty. Hardly anybody has the courage to avoid the mass parade with banner (LOL, it's was communists addvertisiment, but in the present, it has completly different meaning :)

>> The thought that the US holds its own Labor Day to avoid the date clash with communists sounds credible <<

Hmmm.... "credible" isn't the word I'd use. As a native-born, blue-stater American, I think I'd go with "obvious".

The history of US foriegn policy for the passed 90 years (until 9/11) could be summed up simply: "There is no dicator too loathsome to not be supported, provide he claimed to be against Communism". (Substitute "al Qada" for "Communism" for the US Foriegn Policy since 9/11)