Labor Day is a public holiday celebrated in many countries all over the world. It usually falls on the first of May for most countries. The common theme of this celebration is celebrating workers as well as the beginning of spring.
About the Labor Day
During the Labor Day, government offices and various companies and businesses are closed since this day is a national holiday. People gather together to discuss the issues faced by workers. They also hold campaigns and rallies to make people aware of their sentiments. Other people take this day as an opportunity to rest from work.
History
According to Tonyo Cruz, a writer and columnist, the earliest Labor Day demonstrations in the Philippines started as early as 1903. This was also supported by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCU) in an article it published in 2017 which commemorated Labor Day.
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According to this article, the Congreso Obrero de Filipinas marched down the future Recto Street in one of the first Labor Day demonstrations in the Philippines. However, both the Congreso and its successor, the Katipunan ng Anak Pawis, were outlawed by the government.
On May 1, 1913, the growing labor movement was recognized, at the time at which a labor congress was convened.
On April 8, 1908, the Philippine Assembly declared the first of May to be the Philippines’ Labor Day. It was also declared as a national holiday.
Dates
As mentioned earlier, Labor Day in the Philippines is celebrated every May 1 each year. This means that the dates of celebration for this event are as follows:
- Friday, May 1, 2015
- Sunday, May 1, 2016
- Monday, May 1, 2017
- Tuesday, May 1,
- Wednesday, May 1,
- Friday, May 1,
- Saturday, May 1,
- Sunday, May 1, 2022
- Monday, May 1, 2023
- Wednesday, May 1, 2024
- Thursday, May 1, 2025
Why Celebrate
Labor Day is indeed an important day. Many people take this day as their opportunity to voice out the sentiments of workers or laborers. There are a lot of workers who get abused by their employers or even taken advantage of. Hence, you must celebrate this day not only to increase awareness about the rights of workers but also to protect your own, as a worker in the economy.
Celebration Ideas and Activities
The following are the best things to do to make your celebration of the Labor Day as best as it can be:
Read Up the History of Labor Day
A brief history about the Labor Day in the Philippines was given above. However, the specific details are so much more that it could take a lot of time to get to know the entire story. Hence, you may want to celebrate this day by getting a book or notes about the history of labor day and then read them up.
Familiarize Yourself with Labor Unions
Labor unions are organizations who make sure that the sentiment of workers are out there on the table. They make sure that workers are not abused by employers. During the Labor Day, these groups are largely involved. Hence, you may want to celebrate this day by making yourself familiar with these organizations.
Messages
- “May you have a happy Labor Day. You are a person who works daily who makes a great effort and so you deserve to have a big celebration. “
- “On the 1st of May, a tribute to those who struggle daily on their offices is held. You are a person very dedicated to your work and for that I say that I wish him well. “
- “Congratulations on this labor day dear Mom. You are a woman who strives daily for the welfare of her family and works very hard. Have a great day. “
- “I dedicate a special greeting to those who strive every day to give the best to their family. You are the ones who move the economy of this country and therefore deserve many congratulations on this Labor Day. “
- “Labor Day is to pay a tribute to all the people who work every day. All work is very important, so I wish you all a great day dear friends. “
- “Workers deserve more than a single celebration a year as there is no day in which they do not give their best. Take this opportunity to feel very proud for your hard work. Have a nice day of work! “
- “Work is an activity that elevates us as human beings and this must be kept in mind every day. To all my family and friends, I wish you a happy 1st of May.”
- “If you did not find work, do not get stressed, you will get it. If you have the joy of working, feel very lucky and do your best every day. To all of you I wish you have a happy Labor Day. “
- “Congratulations to all my friends on this Labor Day! It is a day to celebrate what we deserve as we make our best effort in our work center. “
- “Working tirelessly is something we do every day. So on this day I want to tell everyone to spend a nice day of work and to have lots of fun. “