International Workers' Day, also known as May Day or May Day, is a national holiday celebrated in over 80 countries around the world. Set on May 1st every year. It is a holiday shared by working people all over the world.
In July 1889, the Second International led by Engels held a congress in Paris. The meeting passed a resolution to hold a parade for international workers on May 1, 1890, and decided to designate May 1 as International Labor Day. The State Council of the Central People's Government made a decision in December 1949 to designate May 1st as Labor Day. After 1989, the State Council basically commended the national model worker and exemplary individual every five years, with about 3000 people each time.

development history
In the 19th century, many countries in the United States and Europe gradually developed from capitalism to imperialism. In order to stimulate rapid economic development, extract more surplus value, and maintain this high-speed running capitalist machine, capitalists continuously adopted methods of increasing labor time and intensity to cruelly exploit workers.
In the United States, workers have to work 14 to 16 hours a day, some even up to 18 hours, but their wages are very low. A supervisor at a shoe factory in Massachusetts once said, 'Let a strong and physically sound 18-year-old boy work next to any machine here, and I can turn his hair gray and white at the age of 22.' The heavy class oppression stirred up great anger among the proletariat. They know that the only way to fight for survival conditions is to unite and fight against capitalists through strike movements. The strike conditions proposed by the workers are to demand the implementation of an eight hour workday.
In 1866, the First International Geneva Conference proposed the slogan of an eight hour workday.
In 1877, the first nationwide strike in American history began. The working class marched and demonstrated on the streets, demanding that the government improve working and living conditions, shorten working hours, and implement an eight hour work system. Not long after the strike, the team gradually expanded, the number of union members surged, and workers from all over the country also participated in the strike movement.
Under the strong pressure of the workers' movement, the US Congress was forced to enact laws on an eight hour workday. However, some capitalists simply ignore it, and this law is just a piece of paper. Workers still live in dire straits and suffer greatly from the torment of capitalists. The workers, who could no longer bear it, decided to push this struggle for the right to survival to a new climax and prepare for a larger scale strike movement.
In October 1884, eight international and national worker groups from the United States and Canada held a rally in Chicago, USA, and decided to hold a general strike on May 1, 1886, forcing capitalists to implement an eight hour workday. The day has finally arrived. On May 1, 1886, 350000 workers from over 20000 companies in the United States stopped work and took to the streets, holding a massive demonstration march. Workers of all colors and professions went on a general strike together. In Chicago alone, 45000 workers flooded the streets. Now, the main industrial sectors in the United States are in a paralyzed state, trains have become stiff snakes, shops are silent, and all warehouses are closed and sealed.
A large-scale strike and demonstration with approximately 350000 participants took place in Chicago, USA, demanding improved working conditions and the implementation of an eight hour workday. On May 3, 1886, the Chicago government deployed police to suppress the situation, shooting and killing two people. The situation escalated, and on May 4, striking workers held a protest in Haymarket Square. Due to unidentified individuals throwing bombs at the police, the police eventually opened fire, resulting in the deaths of four workers and seven police officers. This event is known as the "Haymarket Riot" or "Haymarket Massacre". In the subsequent sentencing, 8 anarchists were charged with murder, 4 anarchists were hanged, and 1 committed suicide in prison.
To commemorate the great workers' movement and the subsequent verdict of the protest, workers' protests were held worldwide. These activities became the precursor to International Labor Day.
In July 1889, at the founding conference of the Second International organized by Engels, it was announced that May 1st of each year would be designated as International Labor Day.
After arduous bloody struggles, victory was finally achieved. To commemorate this workers' movement, on July 14, 1889, the Socialist Congress convened by Marxists from various countries was grandly opened in Paris, France. At the conference, the attending representatives unanimously agreed to designate May 1st as the common holiday of the international proletariat. This decision immediately received positive responses from workers around the world. On May 1, 1890, the working class of various European and American countries took the lead in taking to the streets, holding grand demonstrations, marches, and rallies to fight for their legitimate rights and interests. From then on, every day on this day, working people from all over the world gather and march to celebrate, and the public is on holiday.
The Chinese people's celebration of Labor Day dates back to 1918. The State Council of the Central People's Government designated May 1st as the statutory Labor Day in December 1949.
On May 1, 1920, the "Labor Day Commemorative Issue" of Volume 7, Issue 6 of "New Youth" was published. Published articles such as Cai Yuanpei's inscription "The sanctity of labor", Sun Yat sen's inscription "The world is for all", Li Dazhao's "History of the May Day Movement", and Chen Duxiu's "The issue of female workers in Hunan province of the Shanghai Welfare Cotton Mill". At the same time, the "Brochure of the Chinese Workers' Union in France" and surveys on labor conditions in Tangshan, Shanxi, Yangtze River and other places were also published.
On May 1st, workers and masses from various industrial cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Jiujiang, and Tangshan marched and held grand marches and rallies in the streets. Li Dazhao specifically published "The History of the May Day Movement" in "New Youth", introducing the origin of the May Day holiday and the activities of workers in countries such as the United States and France to commemorate May Day. He called on Chinese workers to use this year's May Day as a date for awakening. Chen Duxiu also published an article titled "The Problem of Hunan Female Workers in Shanghai Housheng Cotton Mill" to celebrate this festival, exposing the truth of capitalists exploiting workers' surplus value. Chen Duxiu also gave a speech on "The Awakening of Laborers" at the Shanghai Shipping Warehouse Industry Federation, clarifying the views of "labor creates the world" and "workers are the most useful and valuable". On that day, workers and intellectuals from various places gathered together. In Shanghai, under the guidance of Chen Duxiu, more than 5000 workers held the World Labor Memorial Conference jointly prepared by seven organizations including the All China Federation of Trade Unions. Chen Duxiu was elected as an advisor to the preparatory conference. At the commemoration meeting, representatives from all walks of life delivered speeches, and workers put forward the "3-8 system" requirement of 8-hour work, 8-hour rest, and 8-hour education, and shouted slogans such as "Long live the workers" and "Long live the Chinese industrial sector". After the meeting, a Shanghai Workers' Declaration and a notice in response to the Russian Labor and Peasants' Government were issued. The commemorative special issue of "New Youth" also published important articles such as Li Dazhao's "History of the May Day Movement", Chen Duxiu's "Workers' Consciousness", and "The Issue of Hunan Female Workers in Shanghai's Welfare Cotton Mill", as well as investigation reports on the current situation of workers in more than ten cities and regions including Shanghai, Beijing, Tianjin, and Wuhan. In Beijing, Li Dazhao led a commemorative event centered around Peking University. Peking University students went on strike on this day, and the "Peking University Student Weekly" published a "Labor Memorial Issue". More than 500 school workers and students attended a commemorative conference on campus, and Li Dazhao delivered a speech at the meeting. Eight Peking University students, including He Mengxiong, and some young people went out to promote and distribute the "May 1st Beijing Labor Declaration", hoping to awaken workers to fight against exploitation and fight for their own rights. They were arrested by the police. Deng Zhongxia went to Changxindian in Beijing to distribute the "May 1st Beijing Labor Declaration" to railway workers and give a speech. This is the first commemoration of International Labor Day in China, and also the first Labor Day in Chinese history.
Commemorative song
On the eve of May Day in 1921, at the Changxindian Labor Training School founded by Communist group members Deng Zhongxia and others in Beijing, workers learned to sing the "May Day Memorial Song". The lyrics of the song are: "Beautiful is freedom, a world star. I fought with my blood and sacrificed for him. I want to sweep away all the authoritarian system and remember the auspicious day of May 1st. The red flag flies, walking on a clear path, everyone doing their best and taking what they need, regardless of poverty, wealth, or social status. The responsibility is only mutual assistance. I hope everyone can work hard and make progress together." This majestic and powerful song was jointly created by teachers from Changxindian Labor Internship School and progressive students from Peking University.