May Day

May Day Quick Facts - AU

AKA Name	International Worker's Day, Labour Day
ℹ HashtagsCompiled on05:14	#MayDay2023, #Mayday
Related Hashtags	#MAY
2023 Date	1 May 2023
2024 Date	1 May 2024

2023 Holidays & Dates

		Australian & Common Holidays
		Misc. & Int'l. Observances
		Christian Holidays
		Jewish Holidays

May Day in 2023

Monday, 1 May

Days to go:

May Day History

May Day marks the halfway point between the first day of spring and the summer solstice. This day can be traced back to the days of the Romans as it involved many pagan rituals and ancient customs. These were slowly phased out with the arrival of Christianity. Festivals, dances, and rituals related to agriculture and fertility were practiced by many Germanic and European countries. May Day is observed annually on the 1st of May.

Top Tweets for May Day -

Proud to be union today and every day. Union members around the country are out fighting for secure, well paid jobs, fairness, and equality. And we’ll keep fighting. Great to address the Sydney May Day Rally today. https://t.co/Db620edy2H
— Tanya Plibersek (@tanya_plibersek) May 1, 2022

Today I marched with aged care workers to celebrate May Day. They’re fighting to change aged care and we can make their voices heard at the upcoming Federal Election. @UnitedWorkersOz @ASUnion_SANT https://t.co/7jFi6vMFW5
— Blair Boyer MP (@BBoyerMP) April 30, 2022

Today is May Day. Today the union movement is reminded of our history and traditions and therefore our responsibility in campaigning for social justice, peace and solidarity. Long live May Day! https://t.co/UOphCLzhHa
— Angelo Gavrielatos (@AGavrielatos) April 30, 2022

May Day Facts & Quotes

Roman Catholics celebrate May as Mary's month and May Day is celebration of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
May Day is also recognized as International Worker's Day, or Labor Day. This day commemorates workers rights and the labor movement. One popular cause that this day commemorates is the eight-hour workday.
During the Haymarket Affair of 1886, more than a dozen people were killed after a 3-day strike and rally. US Labor Unions had agreed upon a general nationwide strike on May 1, 1886 in support of an eight-hour work day. One such rally, held outside the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company, Chicago, Illinois, became violent when police fired into the crowd of striking workers. Outraged, the worker's organized another rally the next day at Haymarket Square. The rally became violent when a bomb was thrown into a crowd of police. Seven officers were killed. A very public trial ensued which ended in the public hanging of four anarchists.
In France, it is customary to give a sweet smelling flower called the spring of lily of the valley (a symbol of springtime) on May 1st. The tradition started in 1561 when King Charles IX of France received a lily of the valley as a lucky charm.
All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence. – Martin Luther King Jr.

In the News and Trending for May Day

Updated 05:12May Day Madness

evakool.com.au

Chris Lynch, Labor for Braddon: What a wonderful May Day March today celebrating workers rights in... - AusPol.co

auspol.co

Aztec dance group hosts 'reimagined' May Day festival

mprnews.org

The first MG May Day takes off at Launceston's National Automobile Museum of Tasmania.

examiner.com.au

May Day Top Events and Things to Do

Dance around a Maypole. Decorate a tall pole with garlands of flowers and ribbons. Have a group of friends each take a ribbon and dance around the pole, interweaving the ribbons to form a braided affect. The braid can be undone by retracing one's steps.
Have a picnic outdoors in the sunshine.
Attend a May Day Festival.
Watch a film relating to worker’s rights. Our favorite films on the topic:
1) The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
2) Office Space (1999)
3) Caesar Chavez (2014)