About Labour Day
Labour Day, also called May Day or International Workers' Day, honours working people and the labour movement on 1 May. India first marked it in Madras in 1923, and the same date is also Maharashtra Day and Gujarat Day, when both states were formed in 1960. In 2027 it falls on Saturday, 1 May 2027.
1 May means different things in different parts of India. In Chennai and Kochi it is a workers' day with red flags and union rallies. In Mumbai it is Maharashtra Din, with a parade at Shivaji Park. In Ahmedabad it is Gujarat Sthapana Divas. For most offices it is simply a day when some colleagues are on leave and others aren't.
Why is Labour Day celebrated on 1 May?
Labour Day is on 1 May because of the eight-hour-day movement in the United States. On 1 May 1886, workers across the US went on strike for an eight-hour working day. In Chicago, a meeting at Haymarket Square on 4 May ended when a bomb was thrown at police, and the violence and trials that followed made the strike famous worldwide. In 1889 the Second International, meeting in Paris, called for an international workers' demonstration on 1 May, and the date stuck.
The United States itself keeps its official Labor Day in September, which is why American calendars differ from most of the world's.
When was the first May Day in India?
India's first May Day was held in Madras, now Chennai, on 1 May 1923. It was organised by M. Singaravelu, a lawyer and early labour leader, who founded the Labour Kisan Party of Hindustan the same day. Two public meetings were held on the city's beaches, one on the Marina near the High Court, and it was the first time the red flag was used in India as a labour symbol. Singaravelu, known in Tamil as Singaravelar, went on to help found the Communist Party of India in 1925.
That history is why Tamil Nadu, Kerala and West Bengal, with long traditions of trade unionism, treat the day seriously. In Tamil it is *Uzhaipalar Dhinam*; in Hindi, *Mazdoor Diwas* or *Shramik Diwas*; in Marathi, *Kamgar Din*.
Why is 1 May also Maharashtra Day and Gujarat Day?
Maharashtra and Gujarat were both created on 1 May 1960, when the Bombay Reorganisation Act split the bilingual Bombay State into a Marathi-speaking and a Gujarati-speaking state. Both states came out of popular movements, and both remember people who died in them.
| Maharashtra Day | Gujarat Day | |
|---|---|---|
| Local name | Maharashtra Din | Gujarat Sthapana Divas |
| Movement | Samyukta Maharashtra movement | Mahagujarat movement, led by Indulal Yagnik from 1956 |
| Remembered dead | 106 people killed in police firing during the agitation, named at Hutatma Chowk, Mumbai | Students and others killed in police firing in Ahmedabad in August 1956 |
| Main event | Governor's parade and address at Shivaji Park, Mumbai; wreaths at Hutatma Chowk | State function; the state was inaugurated in 1960 by Ravishankar Maharaj at Sabarmati Ashram |
| Capital in 1960 | Bombay | Ahmedabad; Gandhinagar from 1970 |
Maharashtra Day is a state holiday and a dry day, and the stock exchanges in Mumbai close for it.
Is Labour Day a holiday in India?
Labour Day is not a national gazetted holiday in India, so central government offices stay open in most states. It is a state and bank holiday in several places. Banks usually close on 1 May in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Goa and Bihar, among others, under the RBI's state-wise list. Private employers decide for themselves, so check your company calendar.
How can you mark Labour Day at home and at work?
Labour Day is marked with union rallies, flag hoisting at trade union offices, and speeches on wages and working conditions. For most readers, the useful part is closer to home.
- At home: give your domestic worker, driver or cook a paid day off, or pay extra if they work. A thank-you with a gift or sweets means more than a forwarded message.
- At work: thank the people whose work is invisible until it stops: housekeeping, security, canteen, delivery and IT support staff. Learn their names if you don't know them.
- With children: explain the eight-hour day. Most people now take a weekend for granted; the day is a good time to say it was won.
India's labour law has also changed recently. On 21 November 2025, the government brought four labour codes into force, on wages, industrial relations, social security, and occupational safety, health and working conditions, replacing 29 older central laws. States are still framing their own rules under the codes, so how they apply depends on where you work.
Do
- Thank people by name and for what they actually do.
- In Maharashtra or Gujarat, add a line for the state's formation day.
- Give domestic staff the day off with pay, or pay extra for working.
Avoid
- Don't send a Labour Day wish to your team and then schedule them to work late.
- Avoid "work hard, party harder" style lines; the day is about fair work, not overwork.
- Don't turn it into a political argument in office groups.
What to write on Labour Day
A Labour Day message works best when it is specific and a little humble. Name the person and what their work makes possible for you.
Happy Labour Day, Didi. Our home runs because of you. Please take today off, fully paid, and rest.
Happy Labour Day. The launch happened because each of you carried a piece of it. Thank you, and log off early today.
Happy May Day, Papa. Thirty-five years of early buses and late shifts paid for everything we have. We see it.
On Labour Day, thank you for the night shifts and weekend duties that keep the rest of us safe.
Happy Maharashtra Din and Labour Day. Jai Maharashtra, and a thought for the 106 at Hutatma Chowk.
Gujarat Sthapana Divas ni shubhechha, and happy Labour Day. Here's to the people who built the state, brick by brick.
Related days include the World Day Against Child Labour on 12 June and World Youth Skills Day on 15 July.
How to wish someone on Labour Day
A good Labour Day message thanks specific people for specific work: the domestic worker, the driver, the nurse on night shift, the team that hit a deadline. It should respect workers rather than just celebrate "hard work". In Maharashtra and Gujarat the same day is state formation day, so a wish there can mention both.
Write a few lines in your own words, pick a design and share it as one link on WhatsApp, Instagram or anywhere else. They open an animated card made just for them, with no app and no sign-up.
Language tip: English, Hindi + recipient language.
When is Labour Day in 2026 and 2027?
Labour Day is on 1 May every year. Only the weekday changes.
- 2026
- 2027
Frequently asked questions
When is Labour Day in 2027?
Labour Day 2027 falls on Saturday, 1 May 2027.
What is the difference between Labour Day and May Day?
In India, Labour Day and May Day are the same day, 1 May, also called International Workers' Day. The name "May Day" comes from the date, while "Labour Day" describes its purpose of honouring workers and the labour movement.
Who started Labour Day in India?
Labour Day in India was started by M. Singaravelu, a labour leader in Madras, who organised the country's first May Day meetings on 1 May 1923. He founded the Labour Kisan Party of Hindustan the same day, and the red flag was used in India for the first time.
Why is the stock market closed on 1 May?
The Indian stock exchanges are based in Mumbai, and 1 May is Maharashtra Day, a state holiday marking the formation of Maharashtra in 1960. The markets close for Maharashtra Day, not for Labour Day as such.
What happened at Haymarket in 1886?
On 4 May 1886, a workers' meeting at Haymarket Square in Chicago, held during strikes for an eight-hour day, ended when a bomb was thrown at police and shooting followed. The events led the Second International to choose 1 May as International Workers' Day in 1889.
Should I give my domestic worker a holiday on Labour Day?
Giving a domestic worker a paid day off on Labour Day is a simple way to mark the occasion. If they prefer to work or you need their help, paying extra for the day is a fair alternative.
Last verified by the Kehdoo team on .