On May 1, many countries around the world celebrate an international holiday - Labor Day (Spring and Labor Day)!Recall what history May Day has, how the names and traditions of the holiday have changed.
The ancient history of the holiday is associated with the honoring of the goddess Maya in ancient Rome. This goddess patronized fertility, the earth.A beautiful holiday was held in her honor, and it was in honor of this goddess that the month of May got its name.
May Day in a new form was revived at the end of the 18th century in the labor movement, which put forward the introduction of an eight-hour working day as one of the main requirements.
On May 1, 1886, the socialist and communist organizations in the United States and Canada staged a series of rallies and demonstrations. It was in honor of the first uprising that the tradition of celebrating May 1, the Day of Solidarity of Workers, appeared in the future.
Now, on May 1, the Spring and Labor Day is celebrated. And in this form, the holiday embraced the customs of ancient ancestors, and the social orientation, and modern traditions of celebration.
Officially, May Day is celebrated in 84 countries around the world. Each country has its own interesting traditions. So, in Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Switzerland, on the night of May 1, young people plant a tree under the window of their girlfriend. But children in Greece in the early morning of May Day go in search of the "first swallow". The French have such an interesting tradition - in the early morning of May 1, to drink a glass of fresh milk, it is believed that the whole year will turn out well.Perhaps the holiday has lost its scope, but it continues to delight people and unite workers. And the popular slogan: “Peace! Work! May! ”, - does not lose its relevance and sounds in many congratulations. Dear friends, Happy Spring and Labor Day!