May 1: A Day of Labor and Love

There are older traditions associated with May 1 than those focusing on labor – May Day in Hungary traditionally saw bands of young men go out in the middle of the night to cut down trees, decorating them with ribbons and putting them at the gate of the house of the girl they love, often hanging a bottle of pálinka or wine on the tree to win the approval of her father.

In the morning, the villagers visited the homes of young girls to see whose tree is the most beautiful, and which couples got together as a result. The celebration culminated in dancing around a larger May Tree in the village center, in front of the church.

In days gone by, practical jokers often disassembled a cart and put it back together on top of the owner’s chimney, leaving the poor owner to take it apart and bring it back down again.

Pagan customs dictated that if there was rain the night before, then the harvest would be bountiful, but cold weather meant a poor harvest. Bells were rung on May 1 to chase away the evil spirits and bring luck to the land; though later the Catholic Church took over the tradition, calling May 1 a celebration of the Virgin Mary.

The Labor Day holiday, meanwhile, dates from the Industrial Revolution in Britain, when factory owner Robert Owen declared that workers should work just 8 hours a day, compared to the 10-16 hours common at the time. In Chicago in 1886, workers went on strike on May 1, calling for the introduction of an 8-hour workday. The so-called Haymarket riots ended in the execution of many of those arrested. May 1 soon became a commemoration of the Haymarket martyrs, a celebration of the workers’ movement, and subsequently a holiday in communist countries.

US President Grover Cleveland feared that the May 1 celebration could lead to renewed violence, and supported the September Labor Day holiday that was started in 1882 by the Knights of Labor. The American Federation of Labor nevertheless declared May 1 a holiday in 1889, to be celebrated for the first time in 1890. Hungary joined in, celebrating the holiday that year with many other countries.

Hungary, as a former communist country, has been celebrating May 1 as Labor Day for many years, but has tended to go back to its roots and focus on folk traditions. In addition to the May Tree and the dancing, Hungarians associate the holiday with traditional markets, with old-fashioned candies and other goodies for kids and nostalgic adults alike.

Potato candy (yes, candy made from potatoes that nobody seems to like, but every Hungarian can wax poetic about it) sponge candy, chocolate and vanilla fudgy rolls covered with coconut called kókuszrolád, licorice-like black yarn called medvecukor or “bear candy,” and lollipops in the shape of roosters are among the goodies available. Non-Hungarians will recognize cotton candy, in all variety of flavors.

The country will put up a National May Tree at Heroes’ Square, a tree hung with ribbons atop a tall pole, also decorated with flowers. Hungarian folk dancers in colorful costumes will perform around the tree, with dance shows of all kinds, from Hungarian folk to gypsy, Latin to Renaissance, rock & roll to jazz, starting every hour on the hour on the big stage. Craftspeople will ply their wares and demonstrate their skills at the market on the Műcsarnok (Museum of Contemporary Art) side, accompanied by demonstrations of embroidery, archer’s bow preparation, doll-making and sewing of folk costumes. Traditional foods will be on offer at a neighboring tent. Don’t miss the finale, a fireworks show at 8:30 pm!