English
中文
The first day of May is a significant date not just in the UK but all over the world. It is called May Day in England, Northern Ireland and Norway, and Early May Bank Holiday in Scotland. On the other hand, it is International Workers’ Day or Labour Day.
May Day or Early May Bank Holiday
May Day is one of the two bank holidays that students and workers in Britain look forward to. The other one is the Spring Bank Holiday on the 29th. Early May Bank Holiday was mainly a celebration of the first day of summer during the Roman times. This is the reason why the summer solstice is called the midsummer’s day.
Various celebrations around the UK are held to celebrate the end of winter and the start of summer. Some festivities are believed to have originated from pagan fertility rituals in honour of Roman Goddess Flora. A traditional celebration involves maypole dancing, where children dance around a tall pole with ribbons, which form decorative patterns. Another symbolic activity is Morris dancing accompanied by accordion music. Men dance in white clothing with hanging bells while carrying scarves and wooden sticks. Other traditional May Day symbols are floral garlands and flower-decorated homes. A May Queen will also be crowned as a representation of the goddess Flora.
International Workers’ Day
From the name itself, Labour Day is the celebration for the working classes which are supported by different labour movements. Socialists, anarchists and communists also support this international celebration. The date was chosen by pan-national organization of socialist and communist parties called Second International. Other countries celebrate Labour Day on a different date significant to them. For instance, in the USA and other parts of the North America, Labour Day is celebrated in September.
International Workers’ Day commemorate the Haymarket affair in Chicago, USA on 4th May 1886. It was a workers’ rally that turned bloody when somebody threw a bomb at the police. The police who were trying to disperse the assembly fired on the workers and killed four. The following day, armed forces fired on another crowed of strikers and killed seven. Before this incident, workers would hold simultaneous international protests to rally against oppressions in their workplaces. Today, Labour Day isn’t much about protests but rather a time to honour workers for their contributions to the society.
If you have any writing project about the aforementioned topics or any other historical event, please do contact us. We have experienced writers that would gladly help you complete a high quality piece of work. Get started by filling out the order form now.
