In Croatia, everyone knows that May 1st is celebrated as International Workers’ Day. May 1st is also a holiday in England, but no one ever connects it with Workers’ Day. The historic Workers’ Day is celebrated on this very day as a reminder of the workers' riot in Chicago on May 1, 1886, in which some workers died, and the strike leaders were sentenced to death or long prison terms. At the meeting of the Second International in 1889, it was decided that May 1st would be celebrated as an international holiday in memory of the bloodshed. In the 19th century, workers demanded the three eights: 8 hours of work, 8 hours of sleep, and 8 hours of cultural education. Back then, workers in the capitalist world were exploited and worked 12 to 18 hours a day, with children often working as well.
I think it is wonderful that this noble tradition of celebrating Workers’ Day in Croatia continues to this day. Maksimir has been promoting the celebration of Workers’ Day in Zagreb Park for a long time. This year I decided to come to Croatia right at this time. It is interesting that the participants of the celebration in Maksimir get a free portion of beans soup as well as Croatian cheese strudel “strukli”. I waited in line for a free meal, and it took me about 35 minutes of standing to get my portion of beans, a bagel, a wet tissue and two strukles. The beans were ok, but the strukles were amazing.
The red carnation, which is a symbol of the workers' bloodshed and is a flower associated with workers' celebrations, was held by some participants. I asked a lady where she got her carnation from and she told me that she came early and that carnations were given to people in the morning.
The Mayor of Zagreb, Tomislav Tomašević, gave a special speech in which he reminded people of this tradition and the struggle of workers, which must not be forgotten, as well as the merits of workers in Zagreb. He congratulated all participants of Workers’ Day. The celebration continued with a concert by Zagreb singer Zdenka Kovačiček. Mrs. Zdenka is 79 years old and sang her beautiful hit song "A Woman for All Time."
I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all workers, current or former, who are reading this article on their holiday!
Kristina
Monday, May 1st, 2023
Praznik rada 2023. u Maksimiru
U Hrvatskoj svi znaju da se 1. Maj slavi kao internacionalni praznik rada. Naime, 1. Maj je praznik i u Engleskoj, ali nitko nikada to ne povezuje sa praznikom rada. Historijski praznik rada slavi se baš na taj dan kao sjećanje na radničku pobunu u Chicagu 1. maja 1886. u kojoj su neki radnici poginuli, a vođe štrajka osuđeni su na smrt ili dugogodišnju robiju. Na sastanku druge Internacionale 1889. godine odlučeno je da će se 1. Maj slaviti kao Internacionalni praznik u sjećanje na to krvoproliće. Radnici su u 19 stoljeću tražili tri osmice: 8 sati rada, 8 sati sna i 8 sati kulturnog obrazovanja. Tada su radnici u kapitalistickom svijetu bili izrabljivani i radili su i po 12 do 18 sati, a često su radila i djeca.
Mislim da je divno što ta plemenita tradicija slavlja praznika rada u Hrvatskoj nastavlja do danas. Obzirom da živim u Engleskoj nekako mi je slavlje praznika rada u Zagrebačkom parku Maksimir dugo promicalo. Ove sam godine odlučila da doći u Hrvatsku baš u to vrijeme. Zanimljivo je da sudionici slavlja u Maksimiru dobivaju besplatno porciju graha kao i hrvatske štrukle. I ja sam čekala u redu za besplatan obrok i trebalo mi je oko 35 minuta da dobijem svoju porciju graha, pecivo, mokru maramicu i dvije štrukle. Grah je bio solidan, a štrukle su bile izvaradne.
Crveni karanfil koji je simbol krvoprolića radnika i koji je cvijet koji se povezuje sa radničkim slavljem vidio se kod nekih sudionika. Pitala sam jednu gospođu odakle joj karanfil i rekla mi je da je ona rano došla i da su tada karanfili bili darivani ljudima.
Gradolnačelnik Zagreba Tomislav Tomašević održao je prigodni govor u kom je podsjetio ljude na ovu tradiciju i borbu radnika koja ne smije biti zaboravljena kao i na zasluge radnika u Zagrebu. Svim sudionicima čestitao je praznik rada. Slavlje se nastavilo koncertom zagrebačke pjevačice Zdenke Kovačiček. Gospođa Zdenka je danas u dobi od 79 godina i prigodno je otpjevala i svoj hit koji se i meni sviđa “Žena za sva vremena.”
Ovom prigodom svim radnicima, trenutnim ili bivšim, koji čitaju ovaj članak čestitam njihov praznik!
Kristina
Ponedeljak, 1. svibnja 2023.
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