What used to be the most important communist holiday in Russia has now become a day to go to the country and work in the garden. At least that's what I've read. Apparently, despite massive protest marches by communists and atheists in the larger cities, the average person treats is much as the average American treats our labor day: as a day to relax and do anything but labor...in the workplace, that is.

Here's what some of the protestors did (from VOA News):

Tens of thousands of people have marched in Moscow and other Russian cities to celebrate May Day.

Trade unionists organized a march that drew some 25,000 people in the Russian capital, where police were deployed to prevent violence.

Communist supporters held a separate rally, shouting anti-government slogans and carrying pictures of Stalin.

In Belarus, opposition supporters marched in the capital Minsk to protest the arrests of opposition party leaders. One of the rally's organizers, former President Stanislav Shushkevich, was summoned to speak with authorities about the march.

Forbes.com added this about the rally:

About 25,000 people gathered in Moscow opposite the mayor's office in the warm spring sunshine to hear speeches from trade union leaders and the mayor and listen to a concert, the ITAR-Tass news agency reported.

Now, in the rest of the world, particularly in parts of Asia, things weren't as peaceful. Indonesia, and the Phillipines exerienced violence in their rallies as people protested labor laws and wage increases, and Castro used the holiday as a PR exercise for his policies and against the US.

But your average Russian citizen - how do they spend the day?
Most people don't celebrate it at all, according to CDI Russia weekly.
It's a day off. Time to fire up the old barbeque, kick back and have a beer...or rather, cook up some shashlyk, hang out at the dacha, and drink a little vodka.