We are slowly leading up to the first three-day weekend of the year, Labor Day! For many, this is the holiday that is all about capturing that last moment of summertime and backyard pool parties and barbecues, but the holiday has a deeper meaning and marks one of the greatest recreational moments in U.S. labor history. Celebrated on the first Monday in September, it is a legal holiday celebrated to honor working people. In many other countries, like Europe, May Day (May 1st) is the day working people are honored. To clarify, do not come to school this Monday, September 2, 2019.

Some historical background about Labor Day is that in the early 1800s, many Americans drudged and toiled countless hours of their day, seven days a week, often in physically demanding circumstances, and low-paying jobs. Children worked on farms, factories, and mines, and overall the conditions were often harsh and unsafe. The idea of creating a holiday specifically to honor workers was proposed by the U.S. Department of Labor.

Two years later, on September 5, 1882,  approximately 10,000 American workers held the first Labor Day parade, marching from City Hall to Union Square in New York City as a tribute to all workers. It was the country’s first ever unofficial Labor Day parade. Then, not all employers supported the idea, but many union workers took the first Monday in September off even though it was not well-supported by employers.

Some facts about Labor Day is that in 1887, Oregon became the first state to make Labor Day a legal holiday. In 1894, President Cleveland and the U.S. Congress made it an official national holiday.

The holiday is fixed in American culture as the “unofficial end of summer”. For those who are deeply upset that another summer slipped from sight, Labor Day is coming your way!