May Day is observed on the 1st day of May every year and is synonymous with International Workers day or Labour day. It is a general holiday in most countries of the world. It is a day of political demonstrations and celebrations conducted by various trade unions and socialist groups around the world.
In India, the first May day celebration was organized in Madras by the Labour Kisan Party of Hindustan on May 1st , 1923. On this day the red flag of the socialists was first introduced. May Day is a nationwide bank holiday in India.
May Day is celebrated in many countries in many dates and in many contexts. May Day festivals probably stem from the rites practiced in honor of Flora, the Roman goddess of flowers. The coming of the spring season is celebrated as May Day in some countries. It is celebrated as a festival for children marking the reappearance of flowers during the spring. It is traditionally greeted with dancing around a pole, called a maypole, from which hang streamers held by the dancers.The most popular May Day celebration is International Workers' Day, and is called Labor Day. It was especially significant in the Soviet Union and other Communist countries when the May Day parade of armored tanks, rockets, and military personnel saluting the nations' leaders, was a much-publicized feature.
In India, 'May day' is commemorated also as 'Labour Day'. The 'Labour Day' begins with the United States labour movement in 19th century. The labour movement was started on May 1, 1886 in the United States.