By Trish Svoboda

The origins of May Day can be traced back to the late 19th-century labor movement. The holiday was first observed in the United States in 1886, as part of the fight for an eight-hour workday. During that time, it was common to work 10 to 16-hour days, according to Industrial Workers of the World’s website.

On the first day of May that year, a strike involving hundreds of thousands of workers took place nationwide, with demands for improved working conditions and reduced working hours. Initially, the strike was non-violent, but the situation escalated on May 4th when a bomb detonated during a labor rally in Chicago’s Haymarket Square, resulting in several fatalities and injuries. This event led to a crackdown on labor activism, but it also served to trigger the labor movement, leading to the recognition of May Day as a symbol of labor unity and protest.

In recent years, it has become a tradition in the U.S. for kids to decorate and fill paper cups with candy and/or flowers to leave on the doorsteps of their friends and neighbors. Its roots can be traced back to the pagan festival of Beltane, an ancient pre-Christian tradition where families would gather after harsh winters to celebrate spring. While the tradition has evolved from sharing baskets filled with foods that were scarce during winter to distributing paper baskets filled with flowers and sweets, the underlying sentiment remains. The winter has passed, and it’s time to unite and celebrate the arrival of spring.