Loyalty Day is observed on May 1 in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

. It is a day set aside "for the reaffirmation of loyalty to the United States and for the recognition of the heritage of American freedom". The date, May 1, was set in order to counter International Worker's Day, and was conceived in the height of the

Second Red Scare McCarthyism is the practice of making false or unfounded accusations of subversion and treason, especially when related to anarchism, communism and socialism, and especially when done in a public and attention-grabbing manner. The term origina ...

History

The holiday was first observed in 1921, during the

First Red Scare The First Red Scare was a period during the early 20th-century history of the United States marked by a widespread fear of far-left movements, including Bolshevism and anarchism, due to real and imagined events; real events included the R ...

. It was originally called "Americanization Day," and it was intended to replace the May 1 ("

May Day May Day is a European festival of ancient origins marking the beginning of summer, usually celebrated on 1 May, around halfway between the spring equinox and summer solstice. Festivities may also be held the night before, known as May Eve. Tr ...

") celebration of the

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, which commemorates the 1886

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in Chicago. During the

, it was recognized by the U.S. Congress on April 27, 1955, and made an official reoccurring holiday on July 18, 1958 (Public Law 85-529). President Dwight D. Eisenhower proclaimed May 1, 1955, the first observance of Loyalty Day. In 1958, Eisenhower urged Congress to move

Child Health Day Child Health Day () is a United States Federal Observance Day observed on the first Monday in October. History According to 36 U.S.C. § 105, on Child Health Day the president invites "all agencies and organizations interested in child welfare ...

to the First Monday in October, to avoid conflicting with Loyalty Day. Loyalty Day has been recognized with an official proclamation every year by every president since its inception as a legal holiday in 1958. Loyalty Day events, mostly parades, are still held in: *

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Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

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Murray, Kentucky Murray is a home rule-class city in Calloway County, Kentucky, United States. It is the seat of Calloway County and the 19th-largest city in Kentucky. The city's population was 17,741 during the 2010 U.S. census, and its micropolitan area's p ...

(not annually) *

Standish, Michigan Standish is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,458 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Arenac County. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land. Standish i ...

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Rutland, Vermont Rutland, Vermont may refer to: *Rutland (city), Vermont *Rutland (town), Vermont *Rutland County, Vermont *West Rutland, Vermont West Rutland is a town in Rutland County, Vermont, United States. The population was 2,214 at the 2020 census. The t ...

Long Beach, Washington Long Beach is a city in Pacific County, Washington, United States. The population was 1,392 at the 2010 census. History Long Beach began when Henry Harrison Tinker bought a land claim from Charles E. Reed in 1880. He platted the town and calle ...

* Freedom, Wisconsin

Statutory definition

Loyalty Day is defined as follows in : :(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.

References

External links

Image of "Steps to Better Manhood" truck in the Loyalty Day parade, Los Angeles, 1926

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...

Photographic Archive (Collection 1429). UCLA Library Special Collections,

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University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the Californ ...

. {{US Holidays, state=collapsed Observances in the United States by presidential proclamation May observances American culture Anti-communism in the United States Recurring events established in 1921

History

Statutory definition

See also

References

External links