(First published in Polish in?Sprawa Robotnicza.)

? ? ?The happy idea of using a proletarian holiday celebration as a means to attain the eight-hour day was first born in Australia. The workers there decided in 1856 to organize a day of complete stoppage together with meetings and entertainment as a demonstration in favor of the eight-hour day. The day of this celebration was to be April 21. At first, the Australian workers intended this only for the year 1856. But this first celebration had such a strong effect on the proletarian masses of Australia, enlivening them and leading to new agitation, that it was decided to repeat the celebration every year.

? ? ?In fact, what could give the workers greater courage and faith in their own strength than a mass work stoppage which they had decided themselves? What could give more courage to the eternal slaves of the factories and the workshops than the mustering of their own troops? Thus, the idea of a proletarian celebration was quickly accepted and, from Australia, began to spread to other countries until finally it had conquered the whole proletarian world.

? ? ? The first to follow the example of the Australian workers were the Americans. In 1886 they decided that May 1 should be the day of universal work stoppage. On this day 200,000 of them left their work and demanded the eight-hour day. Later, police and legal harassment prevented the workers for many years from repeating this [size] demonstration. However in 1888 they renewed their decision and decided that the next celebration would be May 1, 1890.

? ? ? In the meanwhile, the workers’ movement in Europe had grown strong and animated. The most powerful expression of this movement occurred at the International Workers’ Congress in 1889. At this Congress, attended by four hundred delegates, it was decided that the eight-hour day must be the first demand. Whereupon the delegate of the French unions, the worker Lavigne from Bordeaux, moved that this demand be expressed in all countries through a universal work stoppage. The delegate of the American workers called attention to the decision of his comrades to strike on May 1, 1890, and the Congress decided on this date for the universal proletarian celebration.

? ? ?In this case, as thirty years before in Australia, the workers really thought only of a one-time demonstration. The Congress decided that the workers of all lands would demonstrate together for the eight-hour day on May 1, 1890. No one spoke of a repetition of the holiday for the next years. Naturally no one could predict the lightning-like way in which this idea would succeed and how quickly it would be adopted by the working classes. However, it was enough to celebrate the May Day simply one time in order that everyone understand and feel that May Day must be a yearly and continuing institution.

? ? ?The first of May demanded the introduction of the eight-hour day. But even after this goal was reached, May Day was not given up. As long as the struggle of the workers against the bourgeoisie and the ruling class continues, as long as all demands are not met, May Day will be the yearly expression of these demands. And, when better days dawn, 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.

【利用無(wú)產(chǎn)階級(jí)節(jié)日慶祝作為實(shí)現(xiàn)8小時(shí)工作制的一種手段，這一有趣的想法首先誕生于澳大利亞。1856年，那里的工人決定組織一天的罷工，并舉行集會(huì)和娛樂(lè)活動(dòng)，以此來(lái)支持八小時(shí)工作制的示威活動(dòng)。慶祝的時(shí)間是4月21日。在最開始，澳大利亞工人只打算在1856年這一年這樣做。但這第一次慶?；顒?dòng)對(duì)澳大利亞的無(wú)產(chǎn)階級(jí)群眾產(chǎn)生了巨大的影響，使他們積極行動(dòng)起來(lái)，并極大地鼓舞了他們，因此澳大利亞工人決定每年都重復(fù)慶祝這個(gè)活動(dòng)。

? ? ? ?事實(shí)上，還有什么能比他們自己決定的大規(guī)模罷工更能給工人們勇氣和信心呢?還有什么能比拉起自己的隊(duì)伍更能給工廠和車間的永遠(yuǎn)的奴隸以勇氣呢?因此，無(wú)產(chǎn)階級(jí)慶祝這個(gè)活動(dòng)的想法很快被接受，并從澳大利亞傳播到其他國(guó)家，直到最后覆蓋了整個(gè)無(wú)產(chǎn)階級(jí)世界。

? ? ? ?第一個(gè)以澳大利亞工人為榜樣的是美國(guó)人。1886年，他們決定將5月1日定為全國(guó)罷工日。在這一天，有20萬(wàn)人離開工作崗位，要求8小時(shí)工作制。后來(lái)，警察和法律上的枷鎖阻止了工人們多年來(lái)再一次舉行這種規(guī)模的示威活動(dòng)。然而，在1888年，他們重新決定，下次慶?；顒?dòng)定于1890年5月1日。

? ? ? ?與此同時(shí)，歐洲的工人運(yùn)動(dòng)已經(jīng)發(fā)展得很強(qiáng)大，很活躍。這一運(yùn)動(dòng)最有力的展現(xiàn)發(fā)生在1889年的國(guó)際工人大會(huì)上。在這次有400名代表參加的大會(huì)上，會(huì)議決定，把八小時(shí)工作制定為首要訴求。于是，法國(guó)工會(huì)代表、來(lái)自波爾多的工人艾薇娜(Lavigne)提議，在所有國(guó)家通過(guò)全面罷工來(lái)表達(dá)這一訴求。美國(guó)工人代表提請(qǐng)他的同志們注意在1890年5月1日舉行罷工的決定，國(guó)會(huì)決定在這一天舉行無(wú)產(chǎn)階級(jí)全面慶祝活動(dòng)。

? ? ? ?在這種情況下，就像30年前在澳大利亞一樣，工人們想到的是一次性示威。國(guó)會(huì)決定，全國(guó)各地的工人將在1890年5月1日舉行為期8小時(shí)的集會(huì)。沒(méi)有人說(shuō)這個(gè)節(jié)日會(huì)在以后的幾年里重演。當(dāng)然，也沒(méi)有人能夠預(yù)測(cè)到這個(gè)想法會(huì)以閃電般的方式獲得成功，以及它會(huì)在多快的時(shí)間內(nèi)被工人階級(jí)接受。僅僅慶祝一次五一節(jié)就足夠讓每個(gè)人都理解和感覺(jué)到五一節(jié)必須是一個(gè)每年都要持續(xù)的制度。

? ? ? ?5月1日要求實(shí)行八小時(shí)工作制。但即使在這個(gè)目標(biāo)實(shí)現(xiàn)之后，五一節(jié)也沒(méi)有被放棄。只要工人反對(duì)資產(chǎn)階級(jí)和統(tǒng)治階級(jí)的斗爭(zhēng)還在繼續(xù)，只要一切要求都得不到滿足，五一節(jié)就是這些要求每年的表現(xiàn)。而且，當(dāng)更好的日子來(lái)臨，當(dāng)世界工人階級(jí)獲得解脫時(shí)，人類可能也會(huì)慶祝五一節(jié)，以紀(jì)念過(guò)去的艱苦斗爭(zhēng)和許多苦難?！?/p>

（有些翻譯的不便理解，便把原文發(fā)出來(lái)了）