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With music and revolutionary slogans broadcast over loud speakers hundreds of thousands of Havana residents flooded Revolution Square in the country’s annual May Day parade.

President Raul Castro was there, wearing a white long sleeved guayabera – Cuba's traditional pleated-front dress shirt of choice - and a typical farmer’s straw hat, instead of his more customary general’s dress uniform. At his side were other Cuban leaders, including parliament president Ricardo Alarcon and the Minister of Communication, Ramiro Valdes.

The crowd that ranges from senior citizens hobbling along to youngsters perched on their Dad’s shoulders was amazingly energetic considering everyone had been in position along the parade route since 6 a.m. a good two hours before the event began. Most people have been up since 4 a.m.

Costumed dancers added color to the noisy gathering and a group went by jumping on pogo sticks, amid signs bearing revolutionary slogans and a smattering of posters with photos of former President and still the top leader of the Revolution, Fidel Castro. And in what would probably horrify animal rights activists, zoo employees marched cuddling two wide-eyed lion cubs.

The majority of the participants, more than 300,000 according to the local media, were from the four municipalities closest to the parade route so that they could get there on foot. The rest of the participants were picked up by buses from the State owned companies for which they work. Farmers and agricultural workers as well as a contingent of 40,000 students closed the parade.

In past years such demonstrations by the revolutionary faithful could go on for hours, not winding down until 1 or 2 p.m. but since Raul Castro stepped in for his ailing older brother Fidel, these events have been limited to a maximum of two hours. The difference represents an enormous savings in time and money. Previously the government paid for hundreds of buses to truck in people from all over the capital and surrounding areas at an enormous cost in fuel and the change seems to reflect President Castro’s efforts to increase efficiency and prevent the unnecessary waste of much needed cash and resources. Observers say its also intended to send the message that support for the Revolution does not need to be demonstrated in the streets but rather on the job with increased productivity.

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With no suspected or confirmed cases of swine flu, Cuba is going ahead with plans for it biggest annual gathering, the May Day parade through the capital’s Revolution Square on Friday.

The traditional early morning event draws tens of thousands of marchers bused in on city vehicles from neighborhoods in 11 municipalities throughout the city and across the bay.

Smaller celebrations will be taking place in cities across the island.

It is the sort of public gathering that most countries where cases of the H1N1 flu have appeared would not even consider.

And despite the fact that the World Health Organization says closing borders will not help and that countries should simply try for containment of the new variant of swine flu, Cuba remains closed to flights from Mexico.

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