O May 1st holidaycelebrated this Friday, completes 102 years of promulgation on the national calendar. The date is considered national holiday in Brazil since 1924.
The officialization of the holiday, however, does not fully account for its origin and celebration in the country. Records show that, since 1891, in places like Rio de Janeiro and Porto Alegre, the date was already celebrated.
Labor Day, CLT and Varguismo
It was justduring the first government of Getúlio Vargas (1930-1945) which then came to be called “Labor Day”.
Vargas used the date to announce important measures, such as the creation of and increases in the minimum wage.
The status of a national holiday was made official by Law no 662, of 6 April 1949. Pexternally, a Lei nº 10,607from 2002updated the wording of the 1949 law, keeping May 1st explicitly on the list of Brazilian national holidays.
History
Historically, the holiday originates from “Haymarket Tragedy”which took place in Chicago (USA) in 1886, when workers were repressed during demonstrations for an 8-hour working day.
In 1889, the Socialist International established May 1st as a day of struggle and tribute to these workers.
