Mayday has been celebrated in one form or another for thousands of years. Pagans marked the day as the end of the hardships of winter. Following the struggle amongst American workers for the eight hour day and the murder by the US state of four anarchists involved in that struggle in 1886, the day has come to be marked as International Workers' Day.

Mayday in the UK has generally been a restrained affair compared to some European celebrations. Nevertheless, there are trade union marches across the country. In recent years, issues of immigration and free movement have become increasingly prominent on these demonstrations.

Newswire: May Day Demo Manchester | A Couple More May Day Pictures | Mayday Celebrations - Space Hijackers | Nottingham May Day 1 Pictures - Event | Nottingham May Day 2 Pictures - Parade | Mayday march and rally in Nottingham | 436,000 Liverpool Residents Snub May Day March | West Midlands IWW celebrate Mayday in Birmingham | “The first May Fayre in Mayfair for 300 years.” | Glasgow May Day | Video of May Fayre in Mayfair, London. | Nottingham Celebrates Mayday with Moazzam Begg | Sucessful street party, London. (sent by mobile)

Regional Features: Nottingham Celebrates Mayday | May Day On Merseyside

Previous Features: Mayday 2007 | Mayday Weekend 2006

Links: EuroMayDay | Wikipedia on Mayday