May Day, celebrated on 1st May, is a national holiday in more than 80 countries including Brazil, China, Japan, India, Malaysia, Germany, Portugal, Spain, Ireland, Finland, Sweden, Italy, France, UK, Hungary, Poland and Russia, and is unofficially celebrated in many more.
Its official title is International Workers’ Day, although it is also known as Workers’ Day or Labor Day. It was designated in 1891 to commemorate the Haymarket Massacre at Chicago on May 3rd 1886, where police fired on and killed workers demonstrating in support of an eight hour day, and it celebrates the rights of workers to organise and protest.
May Day is also an ancient pagan feast day with roots stretching back to the festival of flowers in ancient Rome, in celebration of the Roman goddess Flora. It is known in Central and Northern Europe as Walpurgis Night, and in Gaelic counties as Beltane. It was part of the pagan cycle of spring celebrations which began with the birth of spring animals, celebrated in April, and culminated with the flowering of the trees in May.
