Okay, Mayday started as a day of labor protests and marching in the U.S., and is pretty much the international day of labor around the world with parades and festiviities.
So, why does the U.S. have a separate day called Labor Day as a day of parades of festivitities? Why not simply use May Day? It’s warmer and the weather is usually nicer.
I’d be surprised if the average temperature is warmer on May 1st than in the first week of September and I’d be very surprised if the incidence of rain was lower on May 1st – at least in the U.S.
The history of Labor Day in the U.S. is approximately as old as the use of May Day as a celebration of Labor. May Day was also associated with Communism and the USSR when I was young so I assume would make it not popular in the U.S. It is still thought of more as a day of protesting against the government than a celebration of labor here.
Marking May 1 as a day for workers dates back to the Haymarket Square riots of 1886. The first Labor Day was celebrated in 1882, and by the time it became law in 1894, neither the government nor the trade unions wanted it to be associated with the socialist overtones of May 1.
This Cecil column is on this topic, although also on the Illuminati. According Cec, the riots didn’t actually happen until the 4th. May 1st had fairly peaceful demonstrations.
May Day is also often an old holiday to celebrate the spring season. Also it’s a time of fertility and flowers, thus the May Pole and May Queen.
It started long before the US ever existed. I was always taught it was the first day of summer and involved Morris Dancing, a Maypole, and more.