I'm going to Poznan for Labor Day in Poland, called May Day in many other European countries.

Originally a celebration of spring, as labor movements in the US grew in power they suggested having a national holiday to celebrate the Worker and this movement gained popularity.

Most countries chose the May 1 date as a reminder of the Chicago Haymarket Massacre of 1886, in which police killed eight workers striking for an 8-hour work day.

US leaders instead chose to divert attention away from an actual Worker's tragedy, choosing a long weekend in September as their Labor Day -- which quickly morphed from celebration of Workers to a final blowout at the end of summer. This was actually a very smooth bait-and-switch and most Americans (even those evil few who read or watch International news) don't know that the parades and somber affairs they see on video stem from a tragedy in the US.

And so, public schools in Poland are closed for a long weekend, and my school is closed for a long weekend, and so I'm seeing a little more of Poland before I leave.

Poznan is supposed to be fun! And we KNOW there'll be good food and alcohol.