Labor Day: Significance and History People across the world celebrate 1 May as "May Day", which is also known as "Labor Day" or "International Workers' Day". The concept of this day began in 1886 in Chicago, US. Several people were killed and injured during a general strike on the eight-hour workday. In India, the first Labor Day or May Day was celebrated in 1923 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. This day is dedicated to workers and laborers. The day is marked as a national holiday. Some institutions and trade unions organize pageants and other activities to show the importance of workers. Most political leaders make speeches. Here is a quote on Labor Day: “A hundred times every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life depend on the labors of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving." Albert Einstein