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 Pagan Origins of Labour Day
May day has its origins in the pagan festival of fertility in ancient Europe. In pagan Europe it was a festive holy day celebrating the first spring planting. Ancient Celts and Saxons celebrated it as the day of 'fire', which was dedicated to 'Bel', the Celtic god of the sun. This popular celebration went through several transformations over the centuries.
Initially the Goddess of the Hunt, Diana, and the God Herne led parades. Later Diana became a fertility goddess, and Herne became Robin Goodfellow, a predecessor to Robin Hood. In its most popular form of celebration, a growing Maypole was brought into the village, around which the young single men and women of the village would dance holding on to the ribbons until they became entwined, with their (hoped for) new love.
Mayday was also a popular feast day for medieval craft guilds. In the 1700s there was an attempt to wipe out this pagan celebration but many peasants continued this tradition.
Labour Day
The observance of Labour Day as the great international worker's day as we know it today began over 100 years ago, in a company town known as Pullman. This town in Illinois was run entirely by the founder Pullman. The people worked for the Pullman Company, their paychecks were drawn from Pullman bank, and their houses were rented from him too.
With the depression in the 1890's business slackened and wages were slashed but the people had to pay the same rent. The employes began to demand lower rents and higher pay. This resulted in violence and strikes ,with a lot of non-union workers joining in.
The strike soon escalated to a matter of national importance. Meanwhile there was a demand for a National Labor Day. Finally President Grover Cleveland had to concede, and gave in to the demands of the unions.
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