Día del Trabajo (May Day)

Día del Trabajo (May Day)

Diego Riviera

May 1

Labor Day, Primero de Mayo: Mexico’s Labor Day being observed on May 1st does actually have some meaning behind it. In 1906, there were labor union uproars and repression in the cities of Cananea, Sonora and in 1907 in Rio Blanco, Veracruz. Labor Day in Mexico means no government office works. There are no banks, postal services, and many restaurants close as well.

Labor Day isn’t all rest and relaxation, either- in some areas it is used as a time to peacefully protest against the issues that might arise with whatever company the particular employees work for. There are several labor unions that unite together to protest specifically on this day to get better health benefits, better treatment, etc. You can see different companies protesting on main streets and in front of city halls often on Labor Day in larger cities.

.