What Are the Origins of May Day?（五一国际劳动节的起源是什么？）-罗莎·卢森堡

(First published in Polish in Sprawa Robotnicza.)

     The happy idea of using a proletarian holiday celebration as a means to attain the eight-hour day was first born in Australia. The workers there decided in 1856 to organize a day of complete stoppage together with meetings and entertainment as a demonstration in favor of the eight-hour day. The day of this celebration was to be April 21. At first, the Australian workers intended this only for the year 1856. But this first celebration had such a strong effect on the proletarian masses of Australia, enlivening them and leading to new agitation, that it was decided to repeat the celebration every year.

     In fact, what could give the workers greater courage and faith in their own strength than a mass work stoppage which they had decided themselves? What could give more courage to the eternal slaves of the factories and the workshops than the mustering of their own troops? Thus, the idea of a proletarian celebration was quickly accepted and, from Australia, began to spread to other countries until finally it had conquered the whole proletarian world.

      The first to follow the example of the Australian workers were the Americans. In 1886 they decided that May 1 should be the day of universal work stoppage. On this day 200,000 of them left their work and demanded the eight-hour day. Later, police and legal harassment prevented the workers for many years from repeating this [size] demonstration. However in 1888 they renewed their decision and decided that the next celebration would be May 1, 1890.

      In the meanwhile, the workers’ movement in Europe had grown strong and animated. The most powerful expression of this movement occurred at the International Workers’ Congress in 1889. At this Congress, attended by four hundred delegates, it was decided that the eight-hour day must be the first demand. Whereupon the delegate of the French unions, the worker Lavigne from Bordeaux, moved that this demand be expressed in all countries through a universal work stoppage. The delegate of the American workers called attention to the decision of his comrades to strike on May 1, 1890, and the Congress decided on this date for the universal proletarian celebration.

     In this case, as thirty years before in Australia, the workers really thought only of a one-time demonstration. The Congress decided that the workers of all lands would demonstrate together for the eight-hour day on May 1, 1890. No one spoke of a repetition of the holiday for the next years. Naturally no one could predict the lightning-like way in which this idea would succeed and how quickly it would be adopted by the working classes. However, it was enough to celebrate the May Day simply one time in order that everyone understand and feel that May Day must be a yearly and continuing institution.

     The first of May demanded the introduction of the eight-hour day. But even after this goal was reached, May Day was not given up. As long as the struggle of the workers against the bourgeoisie and the ruling class continues, as long as all demands are not met, May Day will be the yearly expression of these demands. And, when better days dawn, when the working class of the world has won its deliverance then too humanity will probably celebrate May Day in honor of the bitter struggles and the many sufferings of the past.

【利用无产阶级节日庆祝作为实现8小时工作制的一种手段，这一有趣的想法首先诞生于澳大利亚。1856年，那里的工人决定组织一天的罢工，并举行集会和娱乐活动，以此来支持八小时工作制的示威活动。庆祝的时间是4月21日。在最开始，澳大利亚工人只打算在1856年这一年这样做。但这第一次庆祝活动对澳大利亚的无产阶级群众产生了巨大的影响，使他们积极行动起来，并极大地鼓舞了他们，因此澳大利亚工人决定每年都重复庆祝这个活动。

       事实上，还有什么能比他们自己决定的大规模罢工更能给工人们勇气和信心呢?还有什么能比拉起自己的队伍更能给工厂和车间的永远的奴隶以勇气呢?因此，无产阶级庆祝这个活动的想法很快被接受，并从澳大利亚传播到其他国家，直到最后覆盖了整个无产阶级世界。

       第一个以澳大利亚工人为榜样的是美国人。1886年，他们决定将5月1日定为全国罢工日。在这一天，有20万人离开工作岗位，要求8小时工作制。后来，警察和法律上的枷锁阻止了工人们多年来再一次举行这种规模的示威活动。然而，在1888年，他们重新决定，下次庆祝活动定于1890年5月1日。

       与此同时，欧洲的工人运动已经发展得很强大，很活跃。这一运动最有力的展现发生在1889年的国际工人大会上。在这次有400名代表参加的大会上，会议决定，把八小时工作制定为首要诉求。于是，法国工会代表、来自波尔多的工人艾薇娜(Lavigne)提议，在所有国家通过全面罢工来表达这一诉求。美国工人代表提请他的同志们注意在1890年5月1日举行罢工的决定，国会决定在这一天举行无产阶级全面庆祝活动。

       在这种情况下，就像30年前在澳大利亚一样，工人们想到的是一次性示威。国会决定，全国各地的工人将在1890年5月1日举行为期8小时的集会。没有人说这个节日会在以后的几年里重演。当然，也没有人能够预测到这个想法会以闪电般的方式获得成功，以及它会在多快的时间内被工人阶级接受。仅仅庆祝一次五一节就足够让每个人都理解和感觉到五一节必须是一个每年都要持续的制度。

       5月1日要求实行八小时工作制。但即使在这个目标实现之后，五一节也没有被放弃。只要工人反对资产阶级和统治阶级的斗争还在继续，只要一切要求都得不到满足，五一节就是这些要求每年的表现。而且，当更好的日子来临，当世界工人阶级获得解脱时，人类可能也会庆祝五一节，以纪念过去的艰苦斗争和许多苦难。】

（有些翻译的不便理解，便把原文发出来了）