Labour Day or International Workers Day is celebrated annually on 1 May to celebrate the working class and labourers across the world.
The day has its origins in the labour union movement, particularly the eight-hour day movement, which supports eight hours for work, eight hours for recreation, and eight hours for rest.
The first May Day celebrations focused on workers took place on May 1st 1890 after its proclamation by the first international congress of socialist parties in Europe on July 14th 1889 in Paris, France.
The first May Day celebration in India was organised in Madras (now Chennai) by the Labour Kisan Party of Hindustan on May 1, 1923.
It was also the first time when the Red Flag which symbolises Labour Day was used in India for the first time
The theme of the International Labour Day in the year 2019 is “Uniting Workers for Social and Economic Advancement”.
May 1 is also celebrated as 'Maharashtra Day' and 'Gujarat Day' to mark the date in 1960, when the two western states attained statehood after the erstwhile Bombay State was divided on linguistic lines.
