Over the years, 1st May has been bestowed upon with many honours. But the most notable are summarized below:
May 1 is also metonym for International Workers Day or Labour Day, a day of celebration of the working class in many countries. Behind it lies a history dating back over one-and-a-half centuries.
An interesting point to be noted, is that the industrial revolutions that took place largely in Europe and USA in the later part of the 19th century resulted in reducing the work hours from 12-15 per day to 8 hours per day. The highlight of this phase is the Haymarket Massacre – When labourers assembled at the Haymarket Square in Chicago on May 4, 1886 and took out a rally for 8 hr. work day, a bombing attack was mounted on them by some unknown forces.
As for May Day in India, we witnessed the first celebration of Labour Day in 1923 in erstwhile Madras.
To foster deep devotion to Saint Joseph, and in response to the “May Day” celebrations for workers sponsored by Communists, Pope Pius XII instituted the feast of Saint Joseph the Worker in 1955. Beginning in the Book of Genesis, the dignity of human work has long been celebrated as a participation in the creative work of God.
By work, humankind both fulfils the command found in Genesis to care for the earth (Genesis 2:15) and to be productive in their labours. Saint Joseph, the carpenter and foster father of Jesus, is but one example of the holiness of human labour.
Jesus, too, was a carpenter. He learned the trade from Saint Joseph and spent his early adult years working side-by-side in Joseph’s carpentry shop before leaving to pursue his mission of preaching and healing. Pope John Paul II stated: “the Church considers it her task always to call attention to the dignity and rights of those who work, to condemn situations in which that dignity and those rights are violated, and to help to guide [social] changes so as to ensure authentic progress by man and society.”
Saint Joseph is held up as a model of such work.
There is also ‘Mayday’, which is a distress call made by ships and aircraft. What is the connection between May Day and Mayday?
Nothing. For, Mayday is an anglicised version of the French ‘m’aidez’ meaning “help me.”
It is also celebrated as an ancient European spring festival, Festival of Flora. The festival was marked by song, dance and theatrical performance celebrating spring.