May Day march

Damn! Missed it!

I am sooooooo in trouble...

heehee.....

It starts in about 30 minutes here in Melbourne, dlowan. Maybe if you rush you can make it to Adelaide's march? :wink:

I always enjoyed the old marches ... taking it in turns to march with the Chileans one year, the plumbers the next, the kurds the following year. Not sure why I lapsed.

Ditto.

people stopped reminding me?

many of my friends ar ein jobs where they more or less have to - or they organise the thing - so they know.

got kinda sad.

the Chileans - or all the South Americans are great to march with, eh?

Yes, they are. And the Greeks! Love 'em!

I started marching with different groups after the teacher unions in Melbourne became so conservative. Not much joy in that group!

And I always loved the speeches at the end ..... Often quite moving, almost a religious feel to them. Ah, & the old comrades from the 30s!

I need a contingent of manly men to Morris Dance, thus assuring me of a bountiful veggie crop.
Morris dancing has come under negative comment in recent years . It appears to be so gay. well, Im here to tell you that My garden has been piss poor in the last 3 years > So, Im about to try this as a last resort and, as its MayDay, Ill bring the coffee, No flavored coffees, just plain old french dark roast steam brewed and served hot with sugar.

OK dancers, LINE UP ALPHABETICALLY ACCORDING TO HEIGHT

"You guys pair up in groups of three, then line up in a circle."
- Bill Peterson, Florida State football coach.

The only thing I know about May Day is that the Soviets used to parade all their missiles through the streets of Moscow. What kind of marching do you do? Military type, where you keep in step and do rhythmic chants? Or is it like a protest march?

It is like a fun celebration march.

Morris dancers are a strange, fearsome thing.

Yes, they are! More of them, I say!

Ah, Tarantula <sigh>, it's none of the things you described. I can speak about what we do here in Melbourne: There are no missiles, no there is no military marching & it's not so much a protest, but a CELEBRATION.
What are we celebrating? Our identity as workers, our solidarity with the oppressed - here & abroad -, our identification with with our fellow man & woman ..... Really, it's very nice walking through the centre of the city with like-minded people ....something to do with trying to create a better world. You should try it!

[quote="Tarantulas]The only thing I know about May Day is that the Soviets used to parade all their missiles through the streets of Moscow. What kind of marching do you do? Military type, where you keep in step and do rhythmic chants? Or is it like a protest march?[/quote]

1 May is a day when workers around the world celebrate their contribution to society - since 1889. And in many countries - in Europe, Africa, Australia and elsewhere - it is a public holiday, because ...

May Day is as well in medieval and modern Europe, the (public) holiday for the celebration of the return of spring.

Walter

I guess the meaning of MayDay evolves, in different cultures ... Here in Australia it has become the focus of all sorts of struggles/celebrations. And as we have such a multicultural population, each group seems to bring it's own concerns to the occaision.

But hey, remember the 40 hour week? That was one of the traditional reasons for celebration. It now seems like Camelot, a dream for many workers ..

I'm curious: Can anyone tell me if May Day is celebrated in the US?

Mmmh - seems, we going from 35 or 37.5 hours/week to 40 and more, too

Say nothing of the work people take home, Walter.

Hey! Do you guys get a holiday? They do in Brisbane!

We celebrate Labour Day another time.

(Brisbane still gets a show day, too!)

Well, the single thing I know it is a day off and there are many demonstrations of the trade unionists.

Which guys are you asking, dlowan? Certainly we don't in Melbourne. But why not, I ask? As good a reason as any.

You'll do!

I was asking everybody, really.