Also known as: May Day · Workers' Day
Ethiopia observes International Workers' Day on May 1 — Miyazia 23 on the Ethiopian calendar — alongside most of the world. It is a full national public holiday: government offices, banks and most businesses close, and trade unions mark the day with assemblies, marches and statements on wages and working conditions.
May Day's story, and Ethiopia's
International Workers' Day traces to the labour movement of the late nineteenth century — above all the 1886 Haymarket affair in Chicago, which grew out of the campaign for the eight-hour day. Socialist and trade-union movements adopted May 1 as the international day of labour, and over the following century it became an official holiday across much of the world.
In Ethiopia the day is marked by the trade-union movement, led by the Confederation of Ethiopian Trade Unions, with rallies and events centered on the conditions of working people — wages, safety and the growth of the country's young industrial workforce. Falling in the crowded holiday stretch of late April and May, between the Easter season and the patriotic anniversaries, it is for most households a welcome day of rest.
Frequently asked questions
- When is International Labour Day in 2027?
- Saturday, May 1, 2027 — Miyazia 23, 2019 in the Ethiopian calendar.
- Is Labour Day a public holiday in Ethiopia?
- Yes — May 1 (Miyazia 23 in the Ethiopian calendar) is a full national public holiday, with offices and banks closed.
- Where does May Day come from?
- From the international labour movement of the late nineteenth century, especially the 1886 campaign for the eight-hour working day. May 1 became the world's workers' day and is now an official holiday in much of the world, Ethiopia included.