International Labor day is officially approaching, and once again we wonder what is left of the original meaning of this date.
In countries where Labor is celebrated, most citizens are not dealing with their labor rights on this day. The law allows them to enjoy their days off (payed), which they usually use to rest.
When you search for Labor day in the International Register of National Holidays, the column „Marking Mode“ says – „Street Demonstrations“. At different times during the previous century, circumstances made the workers quit their demonstrations.
The Haymarket Affair in Chicago
Labor day is marked as a remembrance of the 1886 street protests during which unions across the United States went on strike, demanding, above all, an eight hour workday. A clash broke out on the 4th of May in Chicago’s Hymarket Square, killing at least eight people (the exact number was never determined) and more than one hundred were injured. Controversial interpretations of events, trials, and the death penalty ensued.
At the First Congress in 1889, it was decided to hold a major event the following year in the memory of the Haymarket affair in Chicago. This was a form of labor rights struggle and it was decided to hold mass manifestations, demonstrations and strikes around the world, as one of the modes of class struggle, which gained mass proportions by the end of the 19th and early 20th century.
Labor Day 1952, near the Fish Tavern
Subotica has been celebrating Labor Day for 128 years
Four years later, 14 workers from Subotica decided to mark this holiday as well as those demonstrators in Chicago,in 1890. They walked towards Palic and were stopped and arrested by the police in Radanovac. This year was taken as the first year commemoration of Labour day in Subotica. Since then, Labor day has been celebrated in Subotica every year, people have used their free time and spent it outdoors. It was celebrated the least on Palic, only after the recovery of the lake. It was celebrated at the Dudova suma city park, the surrounding city forests, at the Tisa river, as well as the Danube river, but also at the city stadium’s auxiliary playgrounds.
93 years later, in 1983, the city decided that the central celebration should be held on Palic, since the lake has been rehabilitated, and in the middle of the tourist season. At that time, a project was organized, and a staff was founded to organize the entire event. Staff members were appointed by the city and were representatives of utility companies,union workers,party members etc.
Central Labor Day celebration in Yugoslavia – Lake Palic
The headquarters organized a Labor Day celebration until 1991, when the entire organization of the event was given to the Palic Ludas Ltd company. Since 2010, the organization has been taken over by the newly established Park Palic Ltd. company.
Bogojvar Castle for Labor Day
From the time when the central celebration of Labour day was shifted to Palic, the number of visitors and participants of this event increased every year. It was noted that the highest number of visitors was in 1988 and 1997, when in 2 days there were over 100,000 people visiting Palic.
In 2017, Labour day was celebrated for four days and more than 70,000 people visited Palic. This year, the event is extended by one day and runs from the 28 th of April until the 2nd of May. Follow the detailed program in our Events section.
Photo: Subotica Archive
