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Mexico Labour Day

Kick back on May 1 - it's Labor Day!

Labor Day in Mexico is one of the government holidays that has nothing to do with a specific person or with a holiday. Labor Day is on May 1st, as it is in most countries around the world. Mexico's Labor Day being on May 1st does actually have some meaning behind it. In 1906, there were labor union uproars and repression in the cities of Cananea, Sonora and in 1907 in Rio Blanco, Veracruz. For my first two years of working in Mexico, I didn't get to have Mexican OR American holidays off. Working in the tourist industry doesn't afford you the luxury of getting off work no matter what! After a while, and after building up some seniority, I was able to take off either a Mexican or an American holiday. Labor Day in Mexico means no government office works. There are no banks, postal services, and many restaurants close as well.

Labor Day isn't all rest and relaxation, either â€" it is used as a time to peacefully protest against the issues that might arise with whatever company the particular employees work for. There are several labor unions that unite together to protest specifically on this day to get better health benefits, better treatment, etc. You can see different companies protesting on main streets and in front of city halls often on Labor Day. As an expatriate, I was just glad to get the day off so that I could go to the beach on a tourist free Monday!