Finland Times

Helsinki Manta's statue was the cap kutreilleen, May Day Eve celebrations in Helsinki, 30 April 2013. Photo - Lehtikuva

May Day or International Labour Day was observed in the country as elsewhere in the globe on Wednesday.

 

Although the May Day celebrations had started in different parts of the country from Tuesday afternoon amidst a rainy and chilly weather, the Meteorological Institute forecast that the weather on May Day would be dry and sunny in the country’s southern and western regions, reported news agency STT.

 

According to the Met Institute, in Southern Finland the temperature might rise above 10 degrees Celsius and in Central Finland the weather was expected to be warming. 

 

May Day Eve celebrations in Helsinki, 30 April 2013, Teknologföreningenin students celebrating the Finnish Palace. Photo - Lehtikuva

The Institute, however, reported that chilly weather would remain unchanged in the Northern parts, where the maximum temperature would be five degrees Celsius while rainy weather would also prevail in East Lapland and Kainuu, said the STT report.

 

The day’s programme began from Tuesday evening through washing and crowning of the Havis Amanda statue in the capital, with thousands of people participating in the celebrations.

Similar programmes were also organised across the country.

 

May Day Eve celebrations in Helsinki, 30 April 2013, three smiths statue decorated with HJK scarves. Photo - Lehtikuva

May Day commemorates the 1886 workers’ uprising at Chicago Haymarket in demand for their legitimate rights, including eight-hour working day. Several demonstrating workers were killed.

 

May 1 was adopted as International Labour Day by over 400 socialist delegates who gathered in Paris in 1889 to celebrate the centenary of French Revolution.

 

At the Marxist International Socialist Congress, the delegates also founded the Second International.

 

Helsinki Manta's statue was the cap kutreilleen, May Day Eve celebrations in Helsinki, 30 April 2013. Photo - Lehtikuva

The day is a public holiday in most of countries.