世界节假日博览 第88期:劳动节

Labor Day is an annual holiday celebrated all over the world. It originated from the eight-hour day movement in the nineteenth century. Labor unions called for eight hours for work, eight hours for play, and eight hours for sleep. It then became a reason for workers to celebrate their social and economic progress in the early twentieth century. Today, people are happy it is a day off work and perhaps forget the origins of this important holiday. Most countries celebrate this day on May 1. In some countries it is called May Day and in others it is known as International Workers’ Day. More and more countries are moving the day to the first Monday in May, so people get a three-day weekend.
每年，全球民众庆祝劳动节。该节日发起于19世纪的“八小时”运动。劳工会要求8小时工作，8小时娱乐以及8小时睡眠。20世纪初期，工人们以此来庆祝不断增长的社会和经济地位。如今，人们开开心心放假，或许已经忘记了劳动节起源。多数国家庆祝劳动节。许多国家将其称之为“五一劳动节”，还有称之为“国际工人节”。许多国家将这一天安排在了五月的第一个周一，这样人们可以享受三天假期。


People around the world celebrate Labor Day in different ways. In China it marked the beginning of a seven-day holiday called Golden Week. People from all over the country traveled to their hometowns or visited resorts. However, in 2008, the Chinese government went back to the single public holiday. Indians have celebrated Labour Day since May 1, 1927. There are many festivals and processions organized by different labour organizations and people fill the streets for huge parties. Italians celebrate the day with a huge, free music concert in Rome. Up to one million people attend the spectacular. For most people, it is a chance to enjoy the nice weather and have a picnic with family, friends and co-workers.
庆祝劳动节的方式多种多样。在中国，人们将7天假期称之为“黄金周”。民众返乡探亲，参观旅游。2008年，中国政府将其改为一天假期。自1927年5月1日起，印度开始庆祝劳动节。不同劳工会举办庆祝活动，大街小巷全部都是欢庆的民众。在罗马，人们会在这一天举办大型免费音乐会。参观人数能够达到100万。对于多数人，享受和煦阳光，趁此佳节与家人、朋友或同事野炊再合适不过了。