Though I’ve shared in the past a bit about the Celtic history of Beltane (here and here), May 1st is culturally important for another reason… May Day!
May 1st, known as International Workers’ Day or May Day, has its roots in the 19th-century labor movement, particularly the struggle for the eight-hour workday. The date was chosen to commemorate the events surrounding the Haymarket Affair in Chicago in 1886. On May 1 of that year, hundreds of thousands of American workers went on strike to demand shorter working hours. In the days that followed, a peaceful rally in Haymarket Square turned violent after a bomb was thrown at police, resulting in the deaths of several officers and civilians. Though the identity of the bomber was never confirmed, several labor activists were arrested, tried, and some were executed, sparking international outrage and sympathy.
In 1889, the Second International, a global organization of socialist and labor parties, designated May 1st as a day of remembrance and protest in honor of the Haymarket martyrs and in support of workers’ rights. While many countries recognize May Day as a public holiday with parades and labor demonstrations, the United States opted for a separate Labor Day in September to distance itself from the “radical” associations of May 1st. Nevertheless, the date remains a powerful symbol of labor solidarity and the ongoing struggle for workers rights. (Read more about it here.)
Honestly, it feels very appropriate that a celebration of pleasure and nature aligns perfectly with an anti-capitalist day of action! Want to get witchy, celebrate the seasonal shift, and reject capitalism? Join me (and others across the nation!) in rejecting the fascist oligarchy! Visit May Day Strong to find an event near you. Can’t attend IRL? Join 50501’s “Authoritarianism 101: A Virtual Teach-In”!
