The history of the holiday began long before the October Revolution, with which it is associated with us. May 1 or the Day of Workers' Solidarity, it turns out, was borrowed from the ancient Italians and has pagan roots.
Residents of Ancient Italy revered the goddess Maya - the patroness of nature, fertility and land. The last month of spring was named after her. And in the first days of May, there were general festivities and celebrations in honor of the goddess.
In Russia, the history of the holiday on May 1 began with Peter's reforms. Peter the Great issued a decree, in which it was ordered to spend the festivities in Sokolniki and Ekateringof. To celebrate the coming of spring.
The holiday became the day of solidarity of working people only towards the end of the XIX century. The "World Proletariat" decided to celebrate May 1 at a meeting of the International Congress, dedicating it to the memory of American workers who suffered from the exploiters. In 1890, for the first time in Warsaw, the Communists celebrated the holiday with a strike of several thousand workers. One of the basic requirements was the introduction of an 8-hour working day.
Since 1897, on May 1, mass demonstrations with social and political demands began to be organized. Similar events of the working class were accompanied by slogans, as well as clashes with law enforcement agencies, during which people died.
For the first time the holiday was celebrated openly after the October Revolution, then it became official. There is also a tradition to hold demonstrations and parades on May 1. Columns of workers passed through central city streets, loudspeakers sounded marches, music of political orientation, cheers of announcers. The leaders of the CPSU, veterans and foremost workers, honorary citizens made speeches and slogans from the stands.
The main demonstration, which was broadcast on radio and television, was held in the heart of Moscow - on Red Square and gathered a huge number of people. The last demonstration took place on May 1, 1990. But the story of May 1 did not end there.
Modern May Day
In 1992 the holiday was renamed. May 1 began to celebrate the national holiday "Day of Spring and Labor". Not only the name, but also the tradition has changed. In 1993, a demonstration of workers was dispersed.
This holiday has always been popular among the people, because these days it was possible not only to be in solidarity with the workers of the whole world, but also to use it in gardens. And today May 1 is celebrated widely - some representatives of political forces (communists, anarchists, other opposition organizations) and their supporters are still in the central city streets with slogans and posters. The majority of the inhabitants of the CIS countries spend the first day in May in nature: someone, returning to the sources, remembers the goddess of fertility and opens the season in the backyard, someone fries barbecue, someone uses extra vacation to relax in foreign countries.
May 1 in the world
The holiday is celebrated in many countries of the world -
In Spain, May 1 celebrate the day of flowers, but, for example, in France, May is the month of the Virgin Mary. The symbol of the month is a cow associated with fertility. At festive festivals, they are tied with bunches of flowers to their tails. Drink of fresh milk in the first days of May is a good sign.