ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the birth of May Day, the reaction of the German and Italian states to the phenomenon and the characteristics of May Day narratives and rituals in Germany and Italy up to and including World War I. Regarding the early development of the labour movement in Germany and Italy, several differences must be underlined. In the way they created a legend of the origins' of May Day partly shared by radical socialists in Germany and Italy that connected an action-orientated and potentially revolutionary interpretation with the Paris congress of 1889. Starting with the legend of the origins' in the early years of May Day celebrations, in both Germany and Italy conflicting moderate and radical May Day narratives therefore coexisted, the latter featuring more prominently in Italy. As far as the dominant socialist party is concerned, differences between Germany and Italy were already growing on the eve of World War I, leading to opposite positions on the war issue.
