The May 1st is a holiday in much countries around the world. Officially it is named International Workers' Day. Shortly it is just the international "Labor day". And it is a non working day - just like the same holiday in USA that is on the first Monday of September.
I still wonder why the day of labor is celebrated with no working. It is a paradox. It should be the opposite - this to be the most hard-working day in the year. In some countries when the 1st of May is on Tuesday or on Thursday, an additional non working day is added (Monday or Friday respectively) . Just like this year - The April 30th is also non working because the government believes it is good for workers to merge the weekend with the holiday. So celebrating the labor we have 4 days of non-working :)
This practice is usual in former socialist countries where the Labor day once was also a symbol of anti-capitalistic battle. But even in socialist past it was a paradox to have a holiday on "Labor day" as the socialism rejected only the capitalists and businessmen, and not the workers and the labor. In fact the labor and working have almost become an official political cult in this societies. But anyway the day of labor was with now working :)
The 1st of May is a Holiday created in fact in USA. A great strike in Chicago of 1886 is the symbol of the fight of poor and discriminated workers against the capitalists that exploit them. But in USA this is not a holiday. Just one more paradox - the inspirer of the holiday does not celebrate it... :)
I think the real May 1st will be celebrated on the day when the government decides not only it to be a normal working day, but also to be a day of intense competition among workers about who of them will work more. With prizes for winners... This is a labor day, not a lazy day... :)
Dobri
May 1st 2012