In many countries, May Day is also known as what?

In many countries, May Day is also known as International Workers’ Day. It is a holiday honoring laborers, the labor movement, and the working class, usually observed on May 1.

The modern workers’ holiday grew from campaigns for an eight-hour workday. The date was chosen in connection with a general strike that began in the United States on May 1, 1886, and the Haymarket affair in Chicago on May 4. In 1889, the Second International called for an annual international demonstration on May 1.

The first major international observance took place in 1890. Celebrations commonly include marches, rallies, speeches, union events, and public gatherings. In some countries the holiday is called Labour Day or simply Workers’ Day.

It is easy to confuse this holiday with the older spring festival also called May Day. They share the date, but their histories differ. The United States and Canada generally celebrate their Labor Day on the first Monday of September instead.