May Day II

May Day, May 1st, usually refers to the International Workers' Day or Labour Day. (wikipedia/May_Day)

Initial Thoughts:
When I first heard someone mention May Day, I had not idea what they were talking about. As I started thinking about it and where I had heard it from I realized I did not know what May Day was/is what it stands for or how it is connected to my life.

Is a sense of history - or past struggles - necessary to live a good and meaningful life?

When May Day was first organized in Australia it was meant to be a one day celebration only in the year of 1856 but the workers liked the day of "stoppage of work" that they decided to celebrate May Day every year. The workers would meet and celebrate their favor of an eight-hour work day. After Australia created the idea of May Day the Americans workers were the next to demonstrated it and in 1886 the workers decided the universal MayDay date should be celebrated on May 1 of every year. After the organization of workers grew they decided their first demand should be the eight-hour work day.

"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." (Rosa Luxemburg) I don't necessarily agree with this statement because it reminds me of all the other holidays we Americans celebrate. For example Labour Day, is supposed to be celebrated in memory of the Workers Union but instead Americans use the holiday to hang out with each other and have a barbeque and show fireworks. We don't even think about all the time and effort that the working class put in to earn their rights. That thought is not even spoken about in school or with each other. Some Americans probably don't even know the real meaning behind the celebration of Labour Day. Another holiday that is "mis-celebrated" is the 4th of July.

Americans misuse holidays and instead celebrate whatever they want on that specific day.

Having a sense of history or past struggles is can be both necessary and unnecessary to live a good and meaningful life because knowing from past experiences how not to suffer and struggle can change how we live our lives. Which may lead to living a good and meaningful life because we are not going to make the same mistakes made a hundred years ago. or you can look at this situation like some people do: having a sense of history or past struggles is not necessary to live a good and meaningful life because it doesn't matter what we have done in the past, all that matters is what we do now. Even holidays made a long time ago are now losing their true meaning and purpose in life.

Holidays are not "properly" celebrated. Most things in life lose their meaning.

Is there a way to bring meaning back to a holiday? Will celebrating the true meaning/purpose of a holiday make my life good and meaningful? Is this idea of "renewing a purpose" possible?