Mayday, May 1, falls on Saturday this year and it is a fiesta day in Spain and much of the rest of the world.
Known in Spain as the Day of the Workers it is a national holiday so expect shops and services to be closed.
The origins of the Day of the Workers can be traced back to 1886 and the “massacre in Chicago” when eight workers were executed after protesting in support of an eight hour working day. Three years later the workers movement in the US agreed to paid tribute on May 1 to the “Martyrs of Chicago.”
The fiesta has extended to the majority of other countries and is considered the International Day of the Workers.
This year, even though May 1 falls on a weekend, there will be no “bridge” on Monday, except in Madrid. In previous years, when May 1 fell on a weekend, there was a “bridge” fiesta of one or even two days.
