KQED is a proud member of
Save ArticleSave Article
upper waypoint
News Fix

What is May Day, Anyway?

Matthew Green
Save ArticleSave Article
Failed to save article

Please try again

This 1886 engraving, printed in Harpers Magazine, was the most widely reproduced image of the Haymarket incident.

So … what is May Day anyway?

For some, it means prancing awkwardly around a feather-wreathed pole.

But that ancient Druid rite of Spring that school kids for some reason still rehearse is probably not what today’s Occupy protesters have in mind.

In countries throughout the world, May Day is actually the official labor holiday, commonly commemorated with large strikes, rallies and demonstrations in support of workers' rights. It is rooted in the basic demand for an eight-hour work day.

Continued at KQED's The Lowdown

Sponsored

lower waypoint
next waypoint
State Prisons Offset New Inmate Wage Hikes by Cutting Hours for Some WorkersFresno's Chinatown Neighborhood To See Big Changes From High Speed RailErik Aadahl on the Power of Sound in FilmCecil Williams, Legendary Pastor of Glide Church, Dies at 94Alameda: The Island That Almost Wasn’tKQED Youth Takeover: How Can San Jose Schools Create Safer Campuses?How to Attend a Rally Safely in the Bay Area: Your Rights, Protections and the PoliceRainn Wilson from ‘The Office’ on Why We Need a Spiritual RevolutionWill Less Homework Stress Make California Students Happier?Nurses Warn Patient Safety at Risk as AI Use Spreads in Health Care