When is Labour Day?
In 2026, Labour Day falls on Friday, May 1, 2026. It is classified here as a Latvian public holiday.
History of Labour Day
May 1 joins two strands of Latvian public life. International Workers’ Day grew from the labour movement’s campaign for fairer working conditions and the eight-hour day. Latvia’s law also names the date as the Day of the Convocation of the Constitutional Assembly, recalling the democratic body elected in 1920 to frame the young republic’s Constitution.
That double name gives the holiday a distinctive civic character. It is both a spring day off and a reminder that social rights and democratic institutions developed together. Political meetings, concerts and family outings may all occur, although the exact tone differs between Riga and smaller communities.
The Constitutional Assembly elected in April 1920 convened on May 1 and drafted the Satversme, adopted in 1922. Naming both labour and the Assembly in one holiday is thus deliberate, not an accidental collision of anniversaries. Offices and schools close, but Latvia does not substitute another weekday when May 1 occurs at a weekend. Marches and party events vary from year to year, while constitutional exhibitions and family outings give the date broader civic and seasonal forms.
How Labour Day is observed
A nationwide public holiday and a day for both labour-movement and democratic-history observances. It remains fixed on May 1 and has no general weekend-substitute entitlement.
Traditions of Labour Day
Public gatherings
Trade unions, political groups and civic organisations may hold speeches, concerts or discussions. Themes can include pay, safety, social protection and contemporary forms of work.
Spring outings
Many families use the May day off for gardens, parks and the first picnics of the season. The fixed spring holiday encourages practical garden work as well as recreational picnics.
Democracy programmes
Institutions and schools use the constitutional theme to discuss parliament and participation in public life. Exhibitions explain how the elected Assembly produced Latvia’s 1922 constitutional order.
Dates and observance rules are checked against the official Latvian legal and government guidance. Weekend substitutions and local-service schedules should be confirmed against the annual official calendar.
History sources: Latvian law: public holidays, commemoration days and celebration days, Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs: national holidays, Latvian law: Labour Law.
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