American annual observance on May 1
Loyalty Day
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Observed by
| United States
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Significance
| Special day for acknowledging American history and declaring loyalty to the United States
[1]
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Celebrations
| Parades and ceremonies
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Date
| May 1
|
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Frequency
| Annual
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Started by
| Dwight D. Eisenhower
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Loyalty Day
is observed on May 1 in the
United States
. It was proclaimed by President
Dwight D. Eisenhower
as a day for declaring loyalty to the United States of America and to acknowledge American history.
[2]
The date, May 1, was set in order to counter
International Workers' Day
and was recognized by the
U.S. Congress
during the height of the
Second Red Scare
.
Each year on Loyalty Day, the current president is requested to issue a
proclamation
that asks the American government officials to display the
American flag
on all government buildings. The proclamations also ask for the American people to observe Loyalty Day with ceremonies in suitable places.
[2]
The most common way of celebrating is with parades.
[3]
History
[
edit
]
International Workers' Day
, held annually on May 1, has commemorated the labor struggle since the late 19th century. The date commemorates the 1886
Haymarket affair
in Chicago,
[4]
in which police shot and killed several people who were striking for an 8-hour workday; eight organizers were later sentenced to death on false charges of throwing a bomb (three were later pardoned).
[5]
Social upheaval following
World War I
, and especially the
October Revolution
in Russia,
[6]
developed into the
First Red Scare
, which led to government crackdowns on organized labor, the communist movement, and other activities seen as "radical". It was in this environment that Loyalty Day (originally called "Americanization Day") was created in 1921 as an explicit replacement for International Workers' Day.
[7]
[6]
[8]
An early celebration held for Americanization Day was on May 1, 1930, when 10,000 VFW members staged a rally at New York's Union Square to promote patriotism.
[7]
During the
Second Red Scare
, it was recognized by the
U.S. Congress
on April 27, 1955,
[9]
and made an official reoccurring holiday on July 18, 1958 (Public Law 85-529).
[1]
[10]
President
Dwight D. Eisenhower
proclaimed May 1, 1955, the first observance of Loyalty Day.
[11]
In 1958, Eisenhower urged Congress to move
Child Health Day
to the First Monday in October, to avoid conflicting with Loyalty Day.
[10]
[12]
Loyalty Day has been recognized with an official proclamation every year by every president since its inception as a legal holiday in 1958.
[13]
[14]
Celebrations and activities
[
edit
]
Loyalty Day events, mostly parades, have been held in
- Golden Shores, Arizona
[3]
- Calhan, Colorado
[15]
- New Lenox, Illinois
[16]
- Brazil
,
Indiana
[17]
- Murray, Kentucky
(not annually)
[18]
- Standish, Michigan
[19]
- Norfolk, Nebraska
[20]
- Newport, Oregon
[21]
- Brandon, South Dakota
[22]
- El Paso, Texas
[23]
- Rutland, Vermont
[24]
- Long Beach, Washington
[25]
- Freedom, Wisconsin
[26]
These parades usually involve color guards, various
marching bands
, and even
motorcycle clubs
, in addition to the appearance of vintage cars and emergency vehicles.
[27]
Statutory definition
[
edit
]
Loyalty Day is defined as follows in
36 U.S.C.
§ 115
:
- (a) Designation.? May 1 is Loyalty Day.
- (b) Purpose.? Loyalty Day is a special day for the reaffirmation of loyalty to the United States and for the recognition of the heritage of American freedom.
- (c) Proclamation.? The President is requested to issue a proclamation?
- (1) calling on United States Government officials to display the flag of the United States on all Government buildings on Loyalty Day; and
- (2) inviting the people of the United States to observe Loyalty Day with appropriate ceremonies in schools and other suitable places.
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
"36 U.S. Code § 115 ? Loyalty Day"
.
Legal Information Institute
. New York: Cornell University Law School. August 12, 1998
. Retrieved
April 11,
2009
.
- ^
a
b
"36 U.S. Code § 115 - Loyalty Day"
.
LII / Legal Information Institute
. Retrieved
April 1,
2024
.
- ^
a
b
"Golden Shores, AZ: Come to the 34th Annual Loyalty Day Parade and Event today"
.
Zach News
. April 27, 2019
. Retrieved
April 28,
2020
.
- ^
"Shibboleth Authentication Request"
.
ezproxy2.library.colostate.edu
. Retrieved
April 3,
2024
.
- ^
"A short history of May Day"
.
Libcom.org
. September 11, 2006
. Retrieved
May 1,
2014
.
- ^
a
b
"Not to be a downer, but here's a reality check on 'Loyalty Day'
"
.
Los Angeles Times
(Editorial). April 29, 2016
. Retrieved
May 1,
2017
.
- ^
a
b
"Patriotic Days"
.
VFW Veterans of Foreign Wars
. Retrieved
May 1,
2015
.
- ^
"A short history of May Day"
.
Libcom.org
. September 11, 2006
. Retrieved
May 1,
2014
.
- ^
"84th Congress, 1st Session"
(PDF)
.
United States Statutes at Large
.
69
. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office: 44. 1955.
- ^
a
b
Eisenhower, Dwight D.
(July 18, 1958). Gerhard Peters; John T. Woolley (eds.).
"Statement by the President Upon Signing Resolution Designating May 1 as Loyalty Day"
.
The American Presidency Project
. Archived from
the original
on June 3, 2016
. Retrieved
May 2,
2022
.
- ^
Eisenhower, Dwight D. (April 28, 1955). Gerhard Peters; John T. Woolley (eds.).
"Proclamation 3091 ? Loyalty Day, 1955"
.
The American Presidency Project
. Retrieved
May 1,
2015
.
- ^
Eisenhower, Dwight D. (April 18, 1959).
"Presidential Proclamation 3282 declaring May 1, 1959 Loyalty Day"
.
OPA ? Online Public Access
. National Archives
. Retrieved
May 1,
2015
.
- ^
"Search Results: Loyalty Day"
.
The American Presidency Project
. Retrieved
June 8,
2021
.
- ^
Office of the Federal Register (1967).
The Code of Federal regulations of the United States of America
. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 42-43.
- ^
"Loyalty Day Parade May 2, 2020"
.
Department of Colorado VFW
. February 6, 2020
. Retrieved
April 28,
2020
.
- ^
"42nd Annual 18th District Loyalty Day Parade has been canceled"
.
Patch
. April 2, 2020
. Retrieved
April 28,
2020
.
- ^
Report, Times Staff (April 25, 2022).
"LOYALTY DAY IS THIS WEEKEND"
.
Brazil Times
. Retrieved
April 27,
2022
.
- ^
Wright, John (April 24, 2018).
"VFW hosts Loyalty Day Parade Saturday"
.
Murray Ledger
. Retrieved
April 28,
2020
.
- ^
Drew, Trevor (April 27, 2019).
"Loyalty Day Parade returns for 48th year"
.
Arenac County Independent
. Retrieved
April 28,
2020
.
- ^
"Norfolk Loyalty Day Parade"
.
Sandhills Express
. May 1, 2019
. Retrieved
April 28,
2020
.
- ^
"loyalty-day-happening"
.
Newport News Times
. March 25, 2022
. Retrieved
May 5,
2022
.
- ^
Hult, Jamie (April 21, 2020).
"Loyalty Day Parade on hold ? for now"
.
Brandon Valley Journal
. Retrieved
April 28,
2020
.
- ^
Long, Trish (April 25, 2019).
"El Paso answers Russia's May Day with Loyalty Day for the first time in 1964"
.
El Paso Times
. Retrieved
April 28,
2020
.
- ^
Dritschilo, Gordon (April 7, 2020).
"Loyalty Day Parade canceled"
.
Rutland Herald
. Retrieved
April 28,
2020
.
- ^
Heffernan, Marissa (January 14, 2020).
"Long Beach Loyalty Days will continue on under direction of Elks Lodge"
.
The Daily News
. Retrieved
April 28,
2020
.
- ^
"Loyalty Day Parade ? Freedom, WI"
.
Winnebago County
. Retrieved
April 28,
2020
.
- ^
Writer, Gordon Dritschilo Staff (March 7, 2022).
"Loyalty Day Parade back on city line-up"
.
Rutland Herald
. Retrieved
April 1,
2024
.
External links
[
edit
]
Holidays, observances, and celebrations in the United States
|
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January
| |
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January?February
| |
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February
American Heart Month
Black History Month
|
- Birthday of Luis Munoz Marin
(PR)
- Candlemas
(religious)
- Charles Darwin Day / Darwin Day
(CA, DE)
- Day of Remembrance
(CA, OR, WA, cultural)
- Georgia Day
(GA)
- Groundhog Day
- Imbolc
(religious)
- Lincoln's Birthday
(CA, CT, IL, IN, MO, NY, WV)
- National Girls and Women in Sports Day
- National Freedom Day
(36)
- Nirvana Day
(religious)
- Presentation of Our Lord to the Temple
(religious)
- Promised Reformer Day
(religious)
- Ronald Reagan Day
(CA)
- Rosa Parks Day
(CA, MO)
- Saviours' Day
(religious)
- Susan B. Anthony Day
(CA, FL, NY, WI, WV, proposed federal)
- Tu B’shvat
(religious)
|
---|
February?March
| |
---|
March
Irish-American Heritage Month
Colon Cancer Awareness Month
Women's History Month
|
- Annunciation of the Virgin Mary / Annunciation of the Theotokos
(religious)
- Casimir Pulaski Day
(IL)
- Cesar Chavez Day
(CA, CO, TX, proposed federal)
- Emancipation Day in Puerto Rico
(PR, cultural)
- Evacuation Day
(Suffolk County, MA)
- Harriet Tubman Day
(NY)
- Hola Mohalla
(religious)
- Holi
(NY, religious)
- L. Ron Hubbard's Birthday
(religious)
- Lailat al-Mi'raj
(religious)
- Liberation and Freedom Day
(Charlottesville, VA, cultural)
- Mardi Gras
(AL (in two counties), LA)
- Maryland Day
(MD)
- Medal of Honor Day
- National Poison Prevention Week
(week)
- Nowruz
(cultural, religious)
- Ostara
(religious)
- Pi Day
- Prince Jonah K?hi? Kalaniana?ole Day
(HI)
- Promised Messiah Day
(religious)
- Saint Joseph's Day
(religious)
- Seward's Day
(AK)
- Texas Independence Day
(TX)
- Town Meeting Day
(VT)
- Transfer Day
(VI)
- Trans Day of Visibility
(cultural)
|
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March?April
|
- Good Friday
(CT, NC, PR, NJ, VI, religious)
- Hanuman Jayanti
(religious)
- Holy Thursday
(PR, VI, religious)
- Holy Week
(PR, religious, week)
- Lazarus Saturday
(religious)
- Mahavir Janma Kalyanak
(religious)
- Mesha Sankranti / Hindu New Year
(religious)
- Palm Sunday
(PR, religious)
- Passover
(religious, week)
- Easter Monday / Bright Monday
(VI, religious)
- Ramnavami
(religious)
- Chandramana Uugadi / Souramana Uugadi
(religious)
|
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April
Arab American Heritage Month
Confederate History Month
| |
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May
Asian American and
Pacific Islander Heritage Month
Jewish American Heritage Month
Military Appreciation Month
| |
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June
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and
Transgender Pride Month
| |
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July
| |
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July?August
| |
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August
| |
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September
Prostate Cancer Awareness Month
Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
| |
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September?October
Hispanic Heritage Month
| |
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October
Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Disability Employment Awareness Month
Italian-American Heritage and Culture Month
Filipino American History Month
LGBT History Month
| |
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October?November
| |
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November
Native American Indian Heritage Month
|
- Ascension of ‘Abdu’l Baha
(religious)
- All Saints' Day
(religious)
- Beginning of the Nativity Fast
(religious)
- Beltane
/
Samhain
(religious)
- Barack Obama Day in Alabama
(Perry County, AL)
- D. Hamilton Jackson Day
(VI)
- Day after Thanksgiving
(24)
- Day of the Covenant
(religious)
- Discovery of Puerto Rico Day
(PR)
- Election Day
(CA, DE, HI, KY, MT, NJ, NY, OH, PR, VA, WV, proposed federal)
- Family Day
(NV)
- Guru Nanak Gurpurab
(religious)
- Hanukkah
(religious)
- L? K??oko?a
(HI, unofficial, cultural)
- Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur
(religious)
- Native American Heritage Day
(MD, WA, cultural)
- Presentation of the Theotokos to the Temple
(religious)
- Trans Day of Remembrance
(cultural)
- Unthanksgiving Day
(cultural)
|
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December
|
- Advent Sunday
(religious)
- Alabama Day
(AL)
- Birthday of Guru Gobind Singh Sahib
(religious)
- Bodhi Day
(religious)
- Chalica
(religious)
- Christmas Eve
(KY, NC, SC, PR, VI)
- Day after Christmas
(KY, NC, SC, TX, VI)
- Festivus
- HumanLight
- Hanukkah
(religious, week)
- Immaculate Conception
(religious)
- Indiana Day
(IN)
- Kwanzaa
(cultural, week)
- Milad Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin
(religious)
- National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
(36)
- Nativity of Jesus
(religious)
- Old Year's Night
(VI)
- Pan American Aviation Day
(36)
- Pancha Ganapati
(religious, week)
- Rosa Parks Day
(OH, OR)
- Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
(religious)
- Wright Brothers Day
(36)
- Yule
(religious)
- Zartosht No-Diso
(religious)
|
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Varies (year round)
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