May Day, day that commemorates the historic struggles and gains made by workers and the labour movement. It is observed on May 1 in many countries, where it is the occasion for demonstrations and rallies in support of workers. It was of particular significance in the Soviet Union during the 20th century.
May Day, also called Workers’ Day or International Workers’ Day, day commemorating the historic struggles and gains made by workers and the labour movement, observed in many countries on May 1. In the United States and Canada a similar observance, known as Labor Day, occurs on the first Monday of September. In 1889 an international federation of socialist groups and trade unions designated May 1 as a day in support of workers, in commemoration of the Haymarket Riot in Chicago (1886). Five years later, U.S. Pres. Grover Cleveland, uneasy with the socialist origins of Workers’ Day, signed legislation to make