May Day 2022: History and Significance of Labor Day

May Day
Photo: Pixabay

Every year on May 1, Labor Day or International Workers’ Day is commemorated to honor the achievements of the working class. In many nations, May Day, often known as May Day, is honored as a national holiday. Labor Day is also a national holiday, where it is known as Shramik Diwas (International Labor Day).

International Labor Day History

The first May Day celebrations centered on workers took place on May 1 1890, following the proclamation of the “Workers Day of International Unity and Solidarity” by the first international congress of socialist parties in Europe on July 14th 1889 in Paris, France.

Because of developments on the other side of the Atlantic, the day was picked. The American Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions demanded an eight-hour workday in 1884, which would take effect on May 1, 1886. This led to a mass strike and the Haymarket Riot of 1886 in Chicago, as well as the official approval of the eight-hour workday. Three years later, the Haymarket Massacre was commemorated on May 1 by a French socialist party, which established an international day to honor the labor movement.

The day is known as “Kamgar Din”, in Hindi, in Kannada as “Karmikara Dinacharane,” in Telugu as “Karmika Dinotsavam,” in Marathi as “Kamgar Divas,” in Tamil as “Uzhaipalar Dhinam,” in Malayalam as “Thozhilaali Dinam,” and in Bengali as “Shromik Dibosh.”

Labor Day, on the other hand, has lost its significance as a holiday in North India. ‘Uniting Workers for Social and Economic Advancement’ is the theme for Labor Day 2019.

Labor Day is observed on the first Monday of September in the United States and Canada.