Happy Labor Day!
Labor Day is a Federal holiday in the United States. It is celebrated on the first Monday in September. It is part of the long weekend known as Labor Day Weekend. The holiday honors and recognizes the American labor movement and the contributions of laborers to the development and achievements of the United States.
Picnics and other public gatherings often feature speeches by prominent labor leaders. Memorial Day is considered the “unofficial start of summer.” Labor Day is called the “unofficial end of summer.” This is because it marks the end of the summer season. Many people take two-week vacations that end on Labor Day weekend. Fall activities, such as school and sports, begin about this time. In the United States, many school districts resume classes around the holiday weekend. Some schools begin classes the week before,. This makes Labor Day weekend the first three-day weekend of the school calendar. Other schools resume classes on the Tuesday following Labor Day.
Learn the History of Labor Day
Beginning in the late 19th century, trade unionists proposed that a day be set aside to celebrate labor. The holiday was promoted by the Central Labor Union and the Knights of Labor. They organized the first parade in New York City. In 1887, Oregon was the first state to make it an official public holiday. By the time it became an official Federal holiday in 1894, 30 states officially celebrated.
Descendants of two men with similar last names claim their great-grandfather was the true father of the holiday. According to one early history, the event originated with a General Assembly of the Knights of Labor. It convened in New York City in September, 1882. In connection with this assembly, a public parade of labor organizations was held on September 5. This was done under the auspices of the Central Labor Union (CLU) of New York. Matthew Maguire is credited for first proposing that a national holiday be held on the first Monday of September. He was Secretary of the CLU.
An alternative thesis is that the holiday was created by Peter J. McGuire. He was a vice president of the American Federation of Labor. He visited Toronto, where he saw parades celebrating labor. He then put forward the initial proposal in the spring of 1882. According to McGuire, he made a proposition to the Central Labor Union in New York City on May 8, 1882. He proposed that a day be set aside for a “general holiday for the laboring classes.” According to McGuire, he recommended that the event begin with a street parade followed by a picnic. He suggested that participating local unions could sell tickets as a fundraiser. According to McGuire he suggested the first Monday in September as an ideal date for such a public celebration. This was done because of the optimum weather. Also, the date was chosen because of its place on the calendar. Labor Day sits in between the Fourth of July and Thanksgiving Day holidays.
