ERIC HOBSBAWM underlined that all traditions are invented and the labour movement May Day is no exception. Called for by the Second International with a focus on the push for an eight-hour day, the first London May Day took place in 1890.

From the start the tradition had several variants. There was a significant London demonstration on May Day itself, which involved workers taking strike action. There was also an even larger event in Hyde Park on the subsequent Sunday. The discussion about how the tradition of May Day should be marked took place from the start.

Hobsbawm argues that the call for an event on May Day arose almost spontaneously. Some historians, myself included, think that really means we are not quite sure who was actually responsible for the idea and in particular making it actually happen.

Taking place at the height of spring, it coincided with much more ancient traditions celebrating new growth in the natural world and the start of a season of summer festivals. 

But this fitted well with the reality that in 1889 the labour movement around the world was young and fast-growing, celebrating new life. The natural world and the world of work coincided.

From the late 1840s the Chartist Land Company had set up a series of land settlements — in effect small holdings in England — with people allocated to them by ballot. The idea was to opt out of industrial capitalism and return to the land. The government refused to make the scheme legal and it had to be wound up in the early 1850s.

The first and a key Chartist Land Settlement was at O’Connorville on the outskirts of Rickmansworth. The Chartist dwellings still stand, although these days they are luxury housing. It was officially opened on May 1 1847 and from then on a May Day tradition, well before 1889, started. Every year on May Day there was a gathering and celebration of the Land Plan and wider Chartist politics.

On May 11 1850 the Chartist Northern Star paper published an account of the May Day celebrations that had taken place at O’Connorville on May 1 1850.

The O’Connorville band, now improved in instrumentation and numbers, made the day “echo with the sounds of joy.” In the afternoon the school room was filled with allottees, their wives and children “all beaming with ruddy health.” “Substantial justice” was done to a tea of “old English fare” after which there were speakers.

The first resolution praised the People’s Charter — “may its speedy enactment emancipate the wealth producers.” Another resolution sent solidarity to “Louis Blanc, Kossuth, Mazzini and the democrats of all nations.” There followed merry dancing, songs and recitations that went on to the early hours.

There was a pub adjacent to the settlement, the Land of Liberty, Peace and Plenty, but alcohol was frowned upon. Chartist leader Feargus O’Connor made the pub, which still thrives, off limits although how successfully is not known.

However we can see that by 1850 a May Day tradition of political speeches focused on working-class emancipation and internationalism, together with a celebration in respect of food, singing and dancing was in place.

It’s not known how long this tradition lasted, but it is unlikely to have been a central factor in going ahead with that London May Day in 1890. 

However old Chartists were active in the new socialist movement in the 1880s, so it is by no means impossible that this earlier May Day tradition was kept alive at least in their memory.