May Day

May Day is an annual observance, celebrated globally to honour the achievements and struggles of workers. Focusing on labour rights, the day serves as an international celebration of the working class and labour movement, fostering worldwide unity. May Day is closely tied to the struggle for an eight-hour workday and improved working conditions, principles that remain relevant even today.

Initially emerging out of the labour rights movement in the United States in the 19th Century, May Day has since been adopted around the world. In New Zealand, the day is widely recognised and has a rich, storied history. The first reported New Zealand observance of May Day in a labour context took place as far back as 1890. Over the years, the day has been marked with various activities, reflecting the ongoing commitment of New Zealanders to workers' rights, fair pay, and reasonable hours of work.

In New Zealand, May Day observances often include public marches and rallies held in major cities, talks, and other collective activities aimed at promoting workers' rights. These often involve various labour unions, workers groups, and social activists. Despite New Zealand's geographical location in the Southern Hemisphere where seasons are opposite from the Northern Hemisphere, May Day, typically associated with the arrival of spring, is still observed on the 1st of May, aligning with international traditions. It's a day of solidarity, pervasive across national borders, uniting individuals in the common goal of fair and equitable working conditions.