5月1日，國際勞動節(jié)，它是全世界工人階級斗爭的歷史紀念，每個國家都很重視它，尤其是美國、加拿大、南非。1886年5月1日，以美國芝加哥為中心，美國大約有35萬工人不顧反動軍警的血腥鎮(zhèn)壓，實行了大規(guī)模的罷工和示威游行，要求改善勞動條件，實行八小時工作制。美國工人的英勇斗爭得到了全世界各國工人階級的支援，迫使資本家接受了工人提出的“每天工作八小時”的要求。為了紀念這次勝利，顯示“全世界無產(chǎn)者，聯(lián)合起來”的偉大力量，1889年7月，第二次國際代表大會決定把5月1日作為國際勞動節(jié)。1890年5月1日，歐美各國的工人階級率先走向街頭，舉行盛大的示威游行與集會，爭取合法權(quán)益從此，每逢這一天世界各國的勞動人民都要集會、游行，以示慶祝。

International Workers' Day（國際勞動節(jié)） is a celebration of the social and economic achievements of the international labor movement. International Workers' Day commonly sees organized street demonstrations by hundreds of thousands of working people and their labor unions throughout Europe and most of the rest of the world — though, as noted below, not in either the United States or Canada. More radical groups such as communists and anarchists are also given to widespread street protest on this day as well.

International Workers' Day was originally the commemoration of the Chicago riots（暴亂）of 1886: in 1889, the first congress of the Second International（第二國際）, meeting in Paris for the centenial of the French Revolution（法國大革命） and the Exposition Universelle (1889), following a proposal by Raymond Lavigne, called for international demonstrations on the 1890 anniversary of the Chicago riot. These were so successful that International Workers' Day was formally recognized as an annual event at the International's second congress in 1891. The May Day Riots of 1894 and May Day Riots of 1919 occurred subsequently.

In 1904, the International Socialist Conference meeting in Amsterdam（阿姆斯特丹） called on "all Social-Democratic Party organizations and trade unions of all countries to demonstrate energetically on May First for the legal establishment of the 8-hour day, for the class demands of the proletariat, and for universal peace." As the most effective way of demonstrating was by striking, the congress made it "mandatory upon the proletarian organizations of all countries to stop work on May 1, wherever it is possible without injury to the workers."

International Workers' Day has long been a focal point for demonstrations by various socialist, communist, and anarchist groups. In some circles, bonfires are lit in commemoration of the Haymarket Riot, usually right as the first day of May begins.

Due to its status as a celebration of the efforts of workers and the socialist movement, International Workers' Day is an important official holiday in Communist countries such as the People's Republic of China, Cuba, and the former Soviet Union(前蘇聯(lián)) . International Workers' Day celebrations typically feature elaborate popular and military parades in these countries.

In countries other than the United States and Canada, resident working classes fought hard to make International Workers' Day an official holiday[citation needed], efforts which largely succeeded. For this reason, in most of the world today, International Workers' Day is marked by massive street rallies led by workers, their trade unions, anarchists and various socialist and communist parties.

The First and Second Red Scare periods ended International Workers' Day as a mass holiday in the United States, which now celebrates its Labor Day on the first Monday of September, due to its importance in Communist countries.

（通訊員西南財經(jīng)大學宋司筠）