Happy Spring and Labor Day!

Initially, in Russia, before 1917, it was customary to celebrate the arrival of Spring with festive festivities, family and friendly outings to nature – "Mayovkas", which were timed according to the calendar to the first days of May.

However, at the beginning of the 20th century, illegal meetings of revolutionary-minded workers began to be held in the form of May Day celebrations, which on this day celebrated "their awakening to light and knowledge, their unification into one fraternal union to fight against all oppression, <…> for a socialist structure of society." (from the proclamation "First of May," written by V. I. Lenin in 1905 in Geneva and published as a separate leaflet).

In 1917, in a number of Russian cities, May Day celebrations were held with the participation of the clergy.

In the RSFSR, the original holiday was called "International Day". In the USSR – "International Workers' Solidarity Day".

Since 1918, May 1 has been based on workers' and military parades. There were no parades in the 1942—1944 season. The last May Day parade was held in 1968.

In 1992, it was officially renamed "Spring and Labor Day" in Russia and is celebrated as a state holiday. It is usually used to hold political events under their slogans by trade unions, parties, and movements of various orientations.

May 1 is celebrated annually as "International Workers' Day" by communists, anarchists and other organizations in different countries.