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Archive for the 'Labor Day' Category
Contents
Posts
May Holidays in France
Wednesday, April 30th, 2008Monique Palomares of Mama Lisa’s World en français (our site devoted to children’s songs around the world with their French translations) sent me this short post about public holidays in France in May…
It’s too bad for French people this year! Usually, May 1st and Ascension Day are separate public holidays, but this year Ascension Day falls on May 1st. So French people only get the one holiday off.
Ascension Day is a Christian Holiday that celebrates when Jesus is believed to have ascended bodily into Heaven (40 days after his resurrection).
May 1st is Labor Day in France. We give our family, friends etc. a sprig of lily-of-the-valley as a good luck charm if we visit them.
On May 8th, we celebrate the surrender of Nazi Germany – which was the end of WWII for us. The mayor of each town places flowers at the foot of the Monument to the Dead in each town. The president of the Republic places one on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier below the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
Come read a previous post about Why May 1st is Labor Day Around the World (Its origin stems in US history).
May Day – Labor Day Marches and Rallies Around the World
Monday, May 1st, 2006In an earlier entry, I wrote about the history of Labor Day.
In case you were wondering, here are some of the countries where demonstrations were held or where Labor Day was in some way honored around the world today (in some cases against the wishes of the government)…
Russia
Belarus
Japan
Germany
Italy
Philippines
Cambodia
Indonesia
Malaysia
South Korea
Malta
Mexico
France
Nepal
Portugal
Sri Lanka
Nigeria
Turkey
Iran
Great BritainFeel free to comment below about your country’s Labor Day traditions.
-Lisa
May 1st in France
Sunday, April 30th, 2006By Monique Palomares
May 1st : this day has been a protest day in France since 1889 as a tribute to the workers of Chicago who died during the riots in 1886.
It was a day off dedicated to demonstrations (off, but unpaid). It’s been a (paid) public holiday since 1947. There are workers and trade unions that still hold demonstrations, though they tend to be less important than in the past.
Lily of the Valley is sold everywhere in France on May Day. Originally, people used to give a sprig of it as a symbol of Spring in the Paris area (you can’t find wild Lily of the Valley in the South of France). Now Lily of the Valley is also a symbol of Labor Day.
Monique works with me on Mama Lisa’s World en français. – LisaHere’s more information about Labor Day around the world.
May 1st is Labor Day in some countries, though its significance stems from events in the U.S.
Saturday, April 29th, 2006On May 1, 1856, workers in Australia decided to strike for one day to demand an eight hour work day.
Thirty years later, in the American city of Chicago, workers made the same demand. Inspired by the Australians, they too began their strike on May 1st. Demonstrations went on, and by May 3rd someone involved was killed.
This led to more protests the next day. As the police started to disperse the crowd, a bomb exploded and 8 policemen were fatally injured.
The next day the police rounded up some of the key players in the demonstrations. Eventually eight men were brought to trial. Though there was never evidence linking them to the bomb, they were found guilty and the judge sentenced them to death. Four of them were hanged and another committed suicide while in jail. In 1893 the other three men were pardoned by the governor.
Oddly enough, it’s several other countries that remembered the significance of the events in Chicago on May 1st. Those countries made their Labor Day holiday on May Day.
The US government didn’t want to bring attention to the history of May 1st, so they made Labor Day a holiday in September. That’s why many Americans aren’t familiar with the significance of May 1st and that its history started in their own country.
UPDATE: In a later post I list some of the countries that celebrate Labor Day on May 1st.
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