May Day occurs on May 1 and refers to any of several public holidays. In many countries, May Day is synonymous with International Workers' Day, or Labour Day, which celebrates the social and economic achievements of the labor movement. As a day of celebration the holiday has ancient origins, and it can relate to many customs that have survived into modern times. Many of these customs are due to May Day being a cross-quarter day, meaning that (in the Northern Hemisphere where it is almost exclusively celebrated) it falls approximately halfway between the spring equinox and summer solstice.
May Day can refer to various labor celebrations conducted on May 1 that commemorate the fight for the eight-hour day. May Day in this regard is called International Workers' Day, or Labor Day.
International Workers' Day is a celebration of the social and economic achievements of the international labor movement. May Day commonly sees organized street demonstrations and street marches by millions of working people and their labor unions throughout most of the countries of the world.
In Hungary May Day was officially celebrated under the Communist regime, and remains a public holiday. Traditionally, the day was marked by the dancing of May trees, which were danced around.
Maypole dances occur as part of May Day celebrations. Traditions associated with this day include young people spending the last night of April out in the open and away from the town. They returned before sunrise on May Day bringing tall trees to the village. They decorate the pole with brightly colored ribbon or paper streamers, and with a bottle of wine. They carry the pole to the village and place it in the desired area (front of the marriageable girls houses). On Mayday people dance around the Maypoles.
