May Day used to be primarily a celebration of Summer long before Christ until in the twentieth century, the day has been usurped by the violence ridden Workers’ Day.
The May-pole symbolized a community gathering around which people would dance and enjoy the coming of Summer in the northern latitudes. In India, we have several days, according to regional calendars, designated for the celebration of Spring (Baisakh) but summer (Jyeshtha) is intolerably hot and not worth celebrating. The first of May is described by Maxim Gorky as a pleasant day in contrast to the wintery January when workers slogged their muffled way to the factories. “The bright sunlight seemed to clean the village, to wipe the dust and dirt from the walls and the tedium from the faces. Everything assumed a more cheerful aspect” he wrote. The soft white clouds that heralded the sunny May Day was chosen by the agitators to stage a protest rally. The clubbing of the beautiful May Day festival which was decorated with flowers, colourful dance and singing with a protest rally has been distressing.
In many countries, there has been attempts to rescue the day from the gory affairs of workers’ protests. Finland, France, Hungary, Ireland and Italy are some places where a May Day is lovable. There are no rallies and demonstrations. The vandalism and lynching associated with demands of the workers are avoided and in France, in particular, on this day it is customary to offer a lily of the valley to friends and relatives. In Romania people go for picnics. Hawaii would be a great holiday spot for those who wish to enjoy May Day as there they celebrate their traditional culture and religion, which was polytheistic.
The International Workers’ Day has often been renamed as Labour Day and shifted to September or July in various countries, such as in Spain. Even a Labour Festival is designed to celebrate the achievements or the importance of labour, rather than their pending demands. The US and Canada have a Labour Day in September, a public holiday not meant for protests and demonstrations, which leftists carry out on the first of May as before.
In 1955, an attempt was made by the Catholic Church to cleanse the May Day of its negative connotations and dirty demonstrations by dedicating First May to “Saint Joseph the Worker”, the patron saint of craftsmen. Following that, in Malta, the day is a holiday happily celebrated as commemoration day of Saint Joseph. They also hold a religious feast on March 19 every year.
The labour unions in India believe in holding rallies and meetings on this particular day as a reminder of workers’ rights, those that are still ignored by the government. It is common knowledge that hysterical riots accompany the professed peaceful meetings on many occasions. In Germany, riots have been the norm for over 25 years until once in 2005 it was effectively replaced by a street fair. In Japan, the communist parties seize the day for its leftist demonstrations. In Greece, Portugal, Turkey and Pakistan the day has been perpetually marred by anarchist protests.
Interestingly, the first May Day celebration in India took place in the year 1923 and this year is its centenary.
Anuradha Bhattacharyya is an Indian author known for her poetry, short stories and novels in English.