Spring and Labour Day Description
Known historically as International Workers' Solidarity Day, May 1 in modern Russia is primarily celebrated as the Holiday of Spring and Labour. During the Soviet era, it featured massive military parades and compulsory worker demonstrations on Red Square. Today, trade unions and political parties — particularly the Communist Party — still organize marches in cities across Russia, carrying banners and flags through central streets. However, for most Russians it is simply the beginning of the dacha (country house) season: families travel to their garden plots to plant vegetables, fire up shashlik (grilled meat skewers) barbecues, and enjoy the first warm days of spring after the long winter. Government offices, banks, and most businesses close. The holiday effectively opens the season of outdoor recreation that defines Russian spring and summer weekends.
