Happy May Day
Michael Daniel
I know a lot of people here in the States associate May 1st with flowers and maypoles, but for most of the world, May Day is celebrated as International Workers' Day. International Workers' Day, or Labor Day, actually started because of events that occurred in the US in the late 19th Century. The Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions set May 1, 1886 as the date by which the eight-hour work day would become the recognized standard. When May 1, 1886 arrived, rallies and strikes were held by labor unions and workers in support of the eight-hour work day.
In the Czech Republic, May 1st is also National Love Day. In Prague, lovers visit the memorial of the Romantic poet Karel Hynek Macha (who wrote a lyrical epic poem called "May," which is considered to be one of the best works of Czech Romanticism) and kiss!
Happy May Day everyone!