Podcast Summary: "Acontece que no es poco | San José Obrero era rojo"

Podcast: Todo Concostrina (SER Podcast)
Host: Nieves Concostrina
Date: May 31, 2022
Episode Theme: The historical and cultural struggle around the celebration of International Workers' Day (May 1st), the Vatican's attempt to "christianize" it with San José Obrero, and Spain's peculiar adaptations under Franco.

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode dives into the curious history of May 1st—International Workers’ Day—and how it became a battleground for competing narratives: labor rights, Catholic tradition, and Francoist authoritarianism. Nieves Concostrina, with her usual wit and irreverence, unpacks the Catholic Church’s attempt to overlay a religious holiday (San José Obrero) atop the international labor movement, and how Spain’s Francoist regime responded by further twisting the calendar. The episode blends social commentary, history, and humor to expose the absurdities around the politics of public holidays.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Battle Over May 1st

• Origin of Topic:
  Nieves credits a discussion with her colleague Marta del Vado (01:39) about global labor celebrations for sparking this episode’s idea.
• International Differences in Labor Day:
  • In most of the world, May 1st is International Workers’ Day, but the USA celebrates Labor Day in September due to the "communist" connotations of May 1st (01:50).
  • Ironically, May 1st commemorates events that actually occurred in the US (the Haymarket Affair in Chicago), yet Americans avoid this date (02:45).

2. The Vatican’s Attempt to Reclaim May 1st

• Pío XII's Maneuver (1955):

  • The Pope invents the feast of San José Obrero on May 1st to cover up or “baptize” the secular, leftist festival (04:38).
    • Quote: "Bueno, pues me invento un santo y lo encajo el 1 de mayo..." (04:38)
  • Nieves draws parallels to how Christianity appropriated other pagan holidays (like Saturnalia/Christmas; Samhain/All Saints’ Day) (05:45).

• Motivation:
  The Catholic Church, seeing the global spread of a secular, potentially subversive celebration, tries to impose a religious alternative via calendar manipulation.

3. The Francoist Rejection and Adaptation

• Franco's Attitude:

  • Despite being staunchly Catholic, Franco disliked the "obrero" (worker) part because of its leftist connotations (10:07):
    • Quote: "San José Obrero suena rojo. Ese sería el patrón de los trabajadores. Canallas que solo quieren currar 8 horas al día. Encima quieren que les pague las horas extras. [...]" – Nieves (10:17)
  • During the dictatorship, May 1st was banned and replaced with the “Fiesta de la Exaltación del Trabajo” on July 18th, a date loaded with fascist significance (10:15).
  • When the Vatican imposed May 1st as a religious feast, Franco grudgingly accepted but rebranded “San José Obrero” as “San José Artesano” to avoid leftist connotations (11:10).

• Legal Twists:

  • The Spanish regime is forced to recognize May 1st as a non-workable paid holiday for religious reasons, even as they try to keep its meaning Francoist and anti-worker (12:00).
    • Quote: "Se declaró, abro comillas, fiesta laboral abonable y no recuperable la fiesta de San José Artesano, que por solidaridad con la disposición de la Santa Sede se celebrará el 1 de mayo de cada año, pero manteniendo el valor, significación y solemnidad de la fiesta de Exaltación del Trabajo Nacional..." – (12:20)

4. The Church’s (Failed) Competition with Labor Movements

• International Catholic Response:
  • In 1956, Cardinal Montini (later Pope Paul VI) tried to rally Catholic workers for a grand event in Milan, promoting the slogan: "Obreros de todo el mundo, unámonos en Jesucristo" (13:20).
  • Nieves mocks the idea: "No hay nada como inventarte un jefazo empresario al que no se le puede reclamar nada porque encima no existe." (13:40)
  • The Spanish “Sindicato vertical” (the regime’s only legal union) reluctantly sends delegates; the event is a flop (13:50).

5. Anecdotes and Side Notes

• The Roman martyrology contains over 7,000 saints, most of whom are obscure or fabricated to fill the calendar (09:31).
  • Quote: "El martirologio romano es divertidísimo. [...] hay 7000 y pico santos" – Nieves (09:31)
• Promise of upcoming stories, including the first recorded worker strike—in Ancient Egypt—hinted for a future episode (14:00).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Es que en ese día del santoral católico hay 20 santos inventados. Bueno, pues ninguno le valía al Papa para manip[ular] la fiesta laica que está ahí.”
  — Nieves (04:38)

• “La historia se repetía con sinvergonzón descaro porque estaban haciendo lo mismo que cuando señalaron la celebración de la Navidad, justo las mismas fechas en las que los romanos celebraban las saturnales.”
  — Nieves (05:47)

• “San José Obrero suena rojo. Ese sería el patrón de los trabajadores. Canallas que solo quieren currar 8 horas al día. Encima quieren que les pague las horas extras. Quieren tener derecho a ponerse enfermos. Quieren tener días de descanso. Qué sinvergüenzas. Estos pobres empresarios son los explotados.”
  — Nieves (10:17)

• “No hay nada como inventarte un jefazo empresario al que no se le puede reclamar nada porque encima no existe.”
  — Nieves (13:40)

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:39 | Inspiration for the episode: Marta’s comments on labor celebrations worldwide | | 02:45 | The irony of the US origin of May 1st and American avoidance of the date | | 03:17 | Introduction to labor history topics: church strategies, Franco’s reactions, the first recorded strikes | | 04:38 | The Vatican invents San José Obrero to overlay May 1st | | 05:47 | Nieves analogizes Catholic calendar manipulations with other “pagan” holidays | | 10:07 | Franco’s rejection of “San José Obrero” and preference for “Artesano” | | 12:00 | Legal wording declaring May 1st a paid, non-recoverable holiday under Franco | | 13:20 | The attempted Catholic labor rally in Milan and mockery of its impact | | 14:00 | Tease for future episode on the world's first documented workers’ strike |

Closing Tone & Style

As always, Nieves Concostrina delivers history with sharp humor, irreverence, and a touch of healthy cynicism toward both secular and religious authorities. The episode exposes the recurring theme of power structures (church or state) trying to control and reframe public memory, especially when it comes to the rights and dignity of workers.

Recommended For:
Listeners curious about the intersection of labor history, religion, and dictatorship, especially as seen through Concostrina’s sardonic lens. The mix of deep research and caustic commentary makes for both an entertaining and enlightening historical journey.