中国人民庆祝劳动节的活动可追溯至1918 年。是年，一些革命的知识分子在上海、苏州等地向群众散发介绍“五一”的传单。1920年5月1日，北京、上海、广州等城市的工人群众走上街头举行了声势浩大的游行、集会。新中国成立后，我国于1949 年12月将“五一”定为法定的劳动节。
"51" night before lasts of 1921, the long and hot store labor extension school that summer waits for someone to establish in the communism group of Peking member 邓 in, the workers learn to sing 《 51 memorial songs 》 .Its lyrics is: "The beautiful freedom, the star of world, puts together me red-blooded, sacrifice for him, want to sweep away the force system everything clean, remember the beautiful day of May first.The red flag dance in the wind, walk bright road, each exhausted ability, each take need, don’t divide the rich and poor high or low, responsibility only mutual aid, wish hard everyone is together enterprising." This stalwart and emollient song, from grow the teacher of the hot store labor practice school and University of Peking to progress the student to create the plait but become together.
1921年“五一”前夕，在北京的共产主义小组成员邓中夏等人创办的长辛店劳动补习学校里，工人们学唱《五一纪念歌》。其歌词是：“美哉自由，世界明星，拼吾热血，为他牺牲，要把强权制度一切扫除净，记取五月一日之良辰。红旗飞舞，走光明路，各尽所能，各取所需，不分贫富贵贱，责任唯互助，愿大家努力齐进取。”这首雄壮有力的歌，是由长辛店劳动实习学校的教员和北京大学的进步学生共同创编而成的。