Happy Labor Day 2016

I wish my friends in Canada and USA a happy Labor Day! Just relax and sit around in your friends laps and have a beer or a glass of wine after your parade and before you go out shopping.

This is the North American anti-communist version of the International Worker's Day that is celebrated on May 1 in more than 80 countries throughout the world.

May Day 2012

Someone has once said that "Deep inside almost every Swede there is a little Social Democrat hiding and wanting to break out". I think it´s an amusing and pretty true characterization.

Even if the members of the Social Democratic Party of Sweden are sometimes ridiculed for being a grey and nondescript mass they have successfully changed the way we Swedes think of the world and how to bring about social reform.

Violence is frowned upon, we move slowly, step-by-step, and painstakingly see to it that the majority is coming along with us and that nobody is forgotten or left behind. The unwilling are dragged along, kicking and screaming, but soothed by the good will shown to them. "We will listen to what you have to say, but when we have finished listening we will either find a compromise or walk on."

All of us are seeking the vision that was described to us in a speech by Per-Albin Hansson in 1928 as "The People´s Home" (Folkhemmet)

I cannot think of any other nation where the right wing party would choose to call itself "The New Workers Party" or for that matter where a liberal party once chose to describe its mission as "social reforms without socialism"

Only five percent of the Swedish population of about 9 million ever walk in demonstrations, but of those who do more than 300,000 people take part in the various demonstrations on May Day. 

May Day

Art by Stina Sunesson

The celebration of May Day has a long pagan history in northern Europe. The earliest May Day celebrations appeared in pre-Christian times, with the Walpurgis Night celebrations of the Germanic countries. 

In Sweden we still celebrate Walpurgis Night on the last night of April by lighting bonfires all over the country to break the grip of winter. May Day is then celebrated as the first day of spring.

Poster for the May Day demonstration 2009 by Stina Wollter

The 1st day of May has also been an important part of Swedish 19th century history since it was declared as the International Workers Day in 1890 by the Second International. 

The day has been celebrated by the Swedish Social Democratic Party, other left wing parties and the trade unions since 1890 by demonstrations in every town with any pride in the country. It was made a public holiday in Sweden in 1938. 

The May Day demonstrations are still an important part of Swedish politics and the leaders of the social democratic and left-wing parties use the May Day to discuss their politics.