Austrian Holidays: May Day


Figure 1.--Here we see Austrian children dressed up for the traditional May Day celebration in an unidentified village. Notice the boys are carrying darm tools.

May Day in Austria as in Germany ia dual holiday. There is the tradutional May Day celebrated in small towns and villages. This is a kind of spring festival where school children dress up. The girls wear flowers in their hair. Both boys and girls commonly wear folk outfits. Then there is the highly politicized May Day--the international Labor Day. I am not sure when May Day was made a national holiday. This was something Socialists throughout Europe demanded beginning in the late-19th century. Governments often resisted the demand. It did not become an official holiday in Germany until the advent of Hitler. We note that during World War I there was a massive demonsttration in Vienna demanding peace (May 1917). Demonstrators demanded a "settlement without Humiliation of any nation". The Communists and splinter leftist groups march separately. After the Soviets and Allies withdrew the Austrians were able to freely celebrate May Day. The modern May Day demonstrations are dominated by the Social Democrats. Peace is normally a major theme. Interestingly during the Cold War, the Communist Party concept of peace was not offened by the Soviet resort to force to maintain its Eastern European empire. And of course Communist supression of free trade uniojns was never raised. Another issue often raised on May Day in Austria is immigration.








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Created: 3:03 AM 5/6/2008
Last updated: 3:03 AM 5/6/2008