Harry Fozzard | October 8, 2021
May Day in China is a week long holiday for China workers. Until 2008, it is when workers get a 7-day leave from work to celebrate International Labor Day in China. It is one of China’s three Golden weeks, the other two being the Spring Festival and October National Day. This is the time where air fares double or triple in price, and hotel accommodations for guests and tourists are almost impossible to avail. As part of the preparation, booking a flight to and from China is done at an earlier time, like weeks or months before the holiday.
China Labor Day Celebration includes many kinds of events and activities. In 2008, Labor Day China became a 3-day or 4-day long weekend for China workers, depending on what day of the week the first of May falls on. International Labor Day in China is also the marker for the transition between the spring and summer seasons. In most parts of China, the climate is mild, and many flowers are abloom. The first of May is also a workers’ holiday for other countries like Brazil, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Nepal, Norway, and Sweden. It is a day for commemorating the Haymarket Massacre of 1886 in Chicago. During that time, laborers who were on strike for an 8-hour workday were shot and killed by policemen.
In preparation for Labor Day China, workers and locals do their part by picking up flowers and arranging them into beautiful displays for parades and for selling in booths that will be set up in the streets of China. Others prepare the goods to be sold especially for tourists and guests who are coming to participate and experience the celebration of Labor Day. Stewardesses prepare books and toys for infants, toddlers, and children who will be boarding on trains and airplanes to keep them occupied during their travels. Blankets, pillows, and other necessities are also prepared for travelers to provide them the comfort they need while travelling. Waitresses and other hotel and restaurant staff decorate and organize the place with ornaments that symbolize respect and abundance. Hotel rooms are elegantly organized and maintained by housekeeping to ensure that guests will enjoy their stay in China.
International Labor Day in China is celebrated in the whole country. And in its capital, Beijing, the Tian’anmen Square is decorated and well guarded by soldiers in preparation for the flag raising ceremony. In this location, an estimated 20,000 spectators will be present.
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