Labor Day is observed the first Monday in September each year. It’s a lesser known annual celebration; the main thing we know about Labor Day is most Americans get the day off. This American holiday commemorates the social and economic achievements of American workers. It began in the late nineteenth century when labor activists pushed for a federal holiday to recognize the many contributions workers had made to America’s strength and well-being.
The earliest known celebration is recognized as September 5, 1882 when a parade, followed by a picnic, was sponsored by the Central Labor Union in New York City. That first celebration was proposed as a “workingmen’s holiday,” and with the growth of labor organizations the idea spread quickly. Between 1882 and 1894, municipalities and states adopted ordinances and laws to make Labor Day official on their own.
By 1894, 23 more states had adopted the holiday and President Grover Cleveland signed a law making the first Monday in September of each year a national holiday. The September date was deliberate. Much of the world honored workers on May 1st, but its socialist origins and its association with various workers’ riots, notably Chicago’s Haymarket Affair of 1886, made May Day unacceptable in the U.S., so Labor Day in September was selected instead.
The big parades have mostly faded, replaced by barbecues, travel, and the unofficial end of summer. How we celebrate has changed, but what we’re celebrating hasn’t. Have a very happy and safe Labor Day holiday.
“No work is insignificant. All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance.” — Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
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