First of may — the international day of solidarity of workers — was probably the chief holiday of the Soviet Union. A few days off, parades, demonstrations, concerts… And on 2 may it was decided to go on may day, the name given to the picnics that marked the arrival of the warm time of year. Soviet Union — collapsed, the holiday has lost its ideological coloration in most of the countries of the Warsaw gorowara, but the phenomenon may day, on the contrary have gained popularity, including in Ukraine. “Today” has learned, as the may day and may day held in different countries.
US: SAUSAGE, FRIED TO ASHES
Today the trade unions in more than 80 countries celebrate May 1 in solidarity in upholding the rights of workers. And oddly enough, but may day has American roots. On may 4, 1886, thousands of workers in Chicago went on a peaceful demonstration demanding the reduction of working hours to eight hours is taken at the time of ten. In clashes with police killed 11 people. A year later, on 1 may, the workers of Chicago agreed to meet with the same demand again, and in solidarity with them in the demonstrations reached thousands of people in other American cities and even abroad.
Interestingly, in a few years when the Senate decided to celebrate the Day of workers ‘ struggle for their rights, intentionally rejected the idea of doing it on 1 may. I was afraid that memories of events in Chicago may cause similar excitement. So labor Day chose the first Monday of September, celebrated in America until now, and is a public holiday. This day is also considered the unofficial end of summer, and traditionally on this day, both in and independence Day, July 4th, I decided to do a barbecue.
Spend may day with picnics and on the occasion of the arrival of spring. “When I lived in new York, we are classmates, was really looking forward to April and may to have a picnic in Central Park. There’s nothing to fry, of course, but people took a lot of booze, order a pizza,” says the Ukrainian Kateryna Panova, who now lives in Miami. To have a picnic in the Park, in many places you need to reserve a pavilion or come early to take public grills.
“Of course, from our American parks are clean, binding toilets, shower, security and often pay the entrance, about 5-10 dollars off the machine,” says Panov.
But outdoors is not an essential attribute of the American people would hold. “Every self-respecting owner has the grill in the backyard. My husband and I also bought the best on the market”, — says the Ukrainian Oksana Leksell, who lives in Chicago.
“When we lived in the apartment, then grilled directly on the balcony. Set up the grill despite the fact that it is actually strictly forbidden by the rules of living in this building. Some of the neighbors could smell, but did not complain of us, and wrote us a SMS of the type “We know what you are doing. We go to you!” laughing says Panov.
Menu of American may day usually consists of sausages, chicken wings, grilled vegetables, corn, potatoes and even fruit on the grill. “What surprised me: many Americans roast meat and sausages to the condition of black coals and gladly eat it!” — surprised Oksana Leksell. Multicultural country — so is the variety of food, including on may day. For example, people with Cuban roots often bring on a total feast of empanadas (meat pie), people from Israel usually take hummus and challah.
A constant attribute for all multinational people of the United States is beer. But in General every drink what he wants, because many Americans keep a home bar full of different drinks.
IN THE UNITED STATES. Americans love picnics in parks, where there is a shower and guards, and the entrance costs about 5-10 dollars from the machine
CHINA: MAKE SOUP HOT POT
“Soviet” bloom celebrate the may day in China. On television are the leaders of the country who have distinguished themselves work awarded prizes and diplomas, and the evening celebration ends the concert — all in the USSR. But for the majority of Chinese may 1 — regular day off, during which it is customary to walk to shopping and restaurants big noisy companies.
“In the middle of a forest or Park to eat it is usually for a picnic rent a barbecue area in the open restaurants in the fresh air. Or make hot pot huge cauldron of soup, which is cooked pieces of meat, vegetables, tofu. For 45 yuan ($7) a day you can rent a barbecue area for the company,” says the Ukrainian woman Galina Voloshin, who lives in Guangzhou.
Scurrying through the streets of idle crowds in a may day at the hands of the sellers — almost all the shops in China are satisfied in the days of the holiday discounts and sales. This is especially true of home appliances and mobile phones.
The middle class travels to see the sights. Especially in China’s major highways and tracks be free for a passenger car for the holiday. In addition, the 2013 power 20% reduced admission to 1200 museums, palaces and other attractions of the country is may 1, so as to encourage the development of domestic tourism.
Chinese tradition. Main dish 1 may — the General cauldron of soup
EU: DISPOSABLE GRILL AND SANDWICHES WITHOUT FIRE
The night before 1 may was celebrated in Europe long before the International labor day. This is the famous Walpurgis night, also known as the night witches. In ancient German folklore, it was believed that on this night witches from all over the world flock to mount Brocken. The holiday existed not only in Germany but also in many other countries — from the Czech Republic to Scandinavia. Required attribute — to the fires, which reached ten meters in height. It is believed that this holiday in ancient times symbolized the arrival of spring, renewal of nature, and fires — parting with the old.
SWEDEN. In Sweden on may 1st is called labor Day, but mostly, this day is known as the spring festival. The locomotive of students. The first day of may they end of the lecture, ahead of the examinations, summer and freedom! Invariable attribute of the Swedish 1 may — white caps. In a time when all students were supposed to wear hats, black hats were worn in winter, and may 1, passed on in summer white.
“The tradition of Swedish students — Breakfast champagne with strawberries on this day, pour champagne each other, and then to go to the Park for a picnic,” says Jonathan Janson from Gothenburg. Interestingly, burn fires and use of grills in the parks of the country is prohibited because of fire danger, so use disposable grills-grills made of wire and foil, which are sold in supermarkets. Menu — meat and vegetables, fry well as corn, sometimes mussels and fish.
On the streets of most cities these days are choral groups, and is held in Gothenburg, the carnival parade to see who is going a quarter of a million people. The parade has been held annually since 1909 by the students at Chalmers and the University.
Sweden. Campfires — not. Use disposable grills-grates with coals inside
GERMANY. Burned police cars, broken Windows, Molotov cocktails and hundreds of wounded — such were the may day news from Berlin a few years ago. Indeed, in this day of radical leftists hold their demonstrations, radical right — and both camps converged in fierce clashes among themselves and with the police. To cope with the demonstrations, it was decided to hold the may day (which in Germany is the output) more street fairs, concerts… Today, this strategy is working. The last clashes were in 2010, when anarchists and other extreme left-wing movement brought to the streets more than 10 thousand people.
“In recent years, everything is peaceful — the crowds walking on the streets, the people, the police in the background, tries not to approach closely. Everywhere the music’s pumping. People send each other beer, marijuana. So there is no aggression. Peace, friendship,” says Maya Ikhelzon, a Ukrainian artist who lives in Berlin.
UK. The British also have May Day, which falls on the first Monday of may, and his English is celebrated with street processions and festivities, the choice of the king and Queen of May. By the way, the British are the founders of the tradition to hold feasts in nature. And the word “picnic” comes from the French language and came into use in the year 1692. The verb “picquer” means “to impale”, and “nique” — “minor thing”. Today, the British take along a picnic of sandwiches with cheddar and pickled cucumber, anchovies and egg. No less loved sausage in homemade dough, cold lamb chops, roast beef, Cornell cakes of dough stuffed with a pork pie and, of course, the famous Scotch Eggs — hard-boiled eggs in the shell of the sausage meat, fried in a bread batter. And no bonfires…
Britain. Today, the British take on a picnic of sandwiches, eggs, sausage
JAPAN UNDER THE SAKURA WITH OFFAL ON STICKS
In Japan, may day is celebrated by large demonstrations of trade unions, which are taken to the streets of Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya tens of thousands of people. This day is part of the so-called Golden week, which runs from 29 April to 5 may. These days the country celebrates the Emperor’s birthday, greenery Day, Constitution Day and children. Most employers give employees extra days off. Many companies even stop the activity for a week, and for part Japanese this is the only vacation of the year.
Not surprisingly, to spend a week of hard working the Japanese are trying to use: travel around the country and go abroad, despite the fact that prices for flights, travel and hotels grow significantly.
A mandatory attribute of the holiday — khans — admiring Sakura flowers. In ancient times the entire Imperial court and noble families went to blooming gardens for a few days. Where we had picnics, listened to music, painted pictures and wrote poetry. The tradition has survived to this day: parks of large cities from March to may (depending on the location of the city) Packed with people.
“Near our house Katsushika a large sports Park along the river. In the period of cherry blossom along the shore literally at dawn, people take place under blossoming cherry trees, spreading film on earth” — says the Ukrainian Oksana’hara, who lives in Shinjuku, one of the special wards of Tokyo.
Small folding barbecues the Japanese carry in their cars with them. “Instead of our usual giant kebabs on long skewers in a small Japanese yakitori on bamboo sticks. There and pieces of all sorts of chicken parts and offal, and pork slices, yakitori and beef. But chicken, of course, prevail,” — says Oksana’hara.
According to her, the main difference between the Japanese may day from our — in small consumption of the Japanese alcohol. Max — beer. “Lots of children play, sports are dominating the feast. At the end all neatly clean up after themselves and even wash the area,” says Hara.
Under Tokyo. Stay in the flowers and sitting on the film
