6 Facts About Jum Il-Ħaddiem That You Probably Didn’t Know
International Workers’ Day, also known as May Day, is celebrated on May 1st every year across the world.
This day is an important commemoration of the struggles and achievements of the labour movement and workers’ rights. In honour of the day, here are six interesting facts about International Workers’ Day you probably didn’t know.
1. Its origins trace back to a bloody riot in Chicago
The origins of May Day can be traced back to the labour movement in the United States in the late 19th century.
In 1886, workers in Chicago held a peaceful strike demanding an 8-hour workday, which led to violent clashes between police and workers. This event is known as the Haymarket Affair and became the catalyst for International Workers’ Day becoming an internationally recognized celebration of the global labour movement. It was also the climax of social unrest among the working class at the time in America known as the Great Upheaval.
Engraving of Haymarket affair, 1886
2. It’s celebrated in over 80 countries
International Worker’s Day is an essential celebration in over 80 countries around the world. In some countries including Malta, it is a national public holiday.
Traditions associated with it vary greatly from country to country. In some places, it’s simply a day to honour workers’ contributions to society. In others, it’s also a celebration of spring and the beginning of the growing season.
3. Malta has celebrated the day for over 100 years
Malta started celebrating Worker’s Day on May 1st in 1921, following the establishment of the Malta Labour Party (MLP) the previous year.
The MLP was founded in 1920 and was instrumental in pushing for better working conditions and labour rights for Maltese workers. On May 1st 1921, the party called for better working conditions and has since become an annual tradition in Malta.
4. May 1st also hosted an ancient pagan festival
Before it became associated with the labour movement, May Day was celebrated as an ancient pagan festival to mark the beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere called Beltane.
The festival included bonfires, love affairs and dancing around the maypole, which symbolized fertility and the return of life to the earth after the long winter.
The maypole
5. The red flag is a symbol of the day
The red flag is a symbol of the labour movement and is often flown on the day.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, red became the colour of choice for labour movements and workers’ organizations across Europe and North America. Red was seen as a symbol of the blood shed by workers fighting for their cause. It was also associated with the revolutionary spirit of the times, as socialist and communist groups called for the overthrow of the capitalist system.
6. May Day is Lei Day in Hawaii
While May Day isn’t officially recognized as a holiday in the United States, it is celebrated in Hawaii as Lei Day. This day honours the culture and traditions of the Hawaiian people, and it’s a day to wear and give leis, which are garlands of flowers.
Today we honour workers who died for the right to better conditions and those who continue to take a stand for labourers.
Tag someone who needs to know this – and Happy May Day!
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