Spring and Labor Day

It is also common for people to have picnics. Men may give spring flowers to women, and parents may buy balloons and ice-cream to their children to celebrate the end of the cold season in Russia.

Spring and Labor Day lost its socialist meaning after the Soviet Union’s collapse, but some political parties and labor unions may still organize demonstrations on this day. Party members and labor union activists may participate in such demonstrations.

Spring and Labor Day is a public holiday in Russia. Most banks, public buildings and educational institutions are closed on this day. If May 1 falls on a weekend, the public holiday usually moves to the following Monday.

Background

May 1 was a symbol of class struggle in Russia for about 100 years (1890-1990). Workers held annual protests on this day from 1890 to 1917, demanding better work conditions and higher wages. In 1918, May 1 became an important public holiday, known as the Day of the International Solidarity of Workers, in the Soviet Union. Most Soviet cities had parades and obligatory workers’ marches on this day until 1990. The Russian Parliament renamed the holiday as Spring and Labor Day in 1992.

Symbols

The most common symbols of Spring and Labor Day are:

• Flowers, especially tulips and lilacs – symbols of late spring.
• Blooming branches of fruit trees – a symbol of approaching summer.
• Balloons – a symbol of celebration.

Victory Day

Many people attend a local military parade and watch the fireworks at night on Victory Day. The biggest parade is in Moscow’s Red Square. Most veterans wear their medals as they head to the parade or an event organized by a local veteran organization.

Another tradition is to give flowers, usually red carnations, to veterans in the street and to lay wreaths at the war memorial sites. Neighborhood schools may host a program prepared by the students, featuring wartime songs and poetry.

At home, families gather around a festive table to honor surviving witnesses of World War II and remember those who passed away. They may also watch a favorite film based on the events of World War II, which is also known as the Great Patriotic War.

Victory Day is a national holiday in Russia. Public offices, schools and most businesses are closed for the celebrations.

Background

Victory Day marks Germany’s surrender to the Soviet Union in 1945. It became the end of the Great Patriotic War for the USSR, which lost about 25 million citizens in the four years of fighting. Interestingly, until its 20th anniversary (May 9, 1965), Victory Day was not a major holiday, unlike, for instance, May 1, and was considered a work day. Apart from the anniversaries in 1965 and 1985, Victory Day celebrations in the Soviet Union did not feature a military parade. This tradition started in 1995.

Symbols

Common symbols of Victory Day in Russia are:

• St. George ribbon – people wear this black-and-yellow ribbon on their clothes or tie it to car antennas as a sign of respect and remembrance.
• Red carnations – blood red is the color of the Soviet flag under which the veterans had fought. Laying an even number of red carnations at war memorial sites signifies mourning and remembrance.
• Red Star medal – a military distinction for bravery.

May 31

The End of School Year