May Day

May 1, 2017

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May Day, usually celebrated on the first of May, is originally a spring festival held throughout the Northern Hemisphere. During the 19th century, the holiday became associated with the labour movements of the time. May 1 was chosen as International Worker’s Day to commemorate the events of the 1886 Haymarket Affair.

In Canada and the United States, a different date was chosen to be associated with the labour movement, which is why we celebrate Labour Day on the first Monday of September. Most other countries tend to celebrate their labour holiday around May 1st.

Happy May Day and happy Spring from the Guelph Wellington Immigration Partnership!