Labor Day in Italy

Primo, Happy Labor Day to all our American friends!

Hopefully you are enjoying the Holiday… but if you are working, well so are we!

I’m afraid we are a bit late for celebrating Labor Day with our Italian counterparts since it was on May 1^st.... Better late than never, isn’t it?

May 1^st or “Primo Maggio” is a national holiday in Italy, as well as in most European countries.
The celebration also known as “la Festa dei Lavoratori” originally began when farmers and seasonal workers took the day off, ate, drank, and danced together on the first day of May, forgetting — for a few hours — the long days of summertime hard work that awaited them.

Now, it is a day to celebrate workers, especially all of those who fought for rights like an eight-hour work day and safety regulations. In much of Europe it is synonymous with labor movements and demonstrations: left political parties traditionally hit the streets and protest their various causes. 

In Italy, the celebrations end with the big, free music concert held in Piazza San Giovanni in Rome, where the most important Italian singers and many foreign guest stars perform before a festive audience.
Since May 1 fell on a Thursday this year (2012), Italians made "il ponte" (the bridge) from the holiday to the Sunday for a nice loooooong weekend.

Should you find yourself in Italy for on May 1^st, expect public transport to be limited. Hotels and restaurants usually have less personnel and most museums are closed. So why not  go on an adventure off the beaten path for the day?