Labor Day
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Labor Day | |
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![]() Labor Day Parade in New York's Union Square, 1882
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Observed by | United States |
Type | National |
Celebrations | Parades, barbecues |
Date | First Monday in September |
2023 date | September 4 |
2024 date | September 2 |
2025 date | September 1 |
2026 date | September 7 |
Frequency | Annual |
Related to | Labour Day |
Labor Day in the United States is a public holiday celebrated on the first Monday in September. It honors the American labor movement and the contributions that workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of the country. It is the Monday of the long weekend known as Labor Day Weekend and it is considered the unofficial end of summer.
Beginning in the late 19th century, as the trade union and labor movements grew, trade unionists proposed that a day be set aside to celebrate labor. "Labor Day" was promoted by the Central Labor Union and the Knights of Labor, which organized the first parade in New York City. In 1887, Oregon was the first state of the United States to make it an official public holiday. By the time it became an official federal holiday in 1894, thirty U.S. states officially celebrated Labor Day.[1]
Canada's Labour Day is also celebrated on the first Monday of September. More than 80 countries celebrate International Workers' Day on May 1 – the ancient European holiday of May Day – and several countries have chosen their own dates for Labour Day.
Contents
History
Beginning in the late 19th century, as the trade union and labor movements grew, different groups of trade unionists chose a variety of days on which to celebrate labor. In the United States and Canada, a September holiday, called Labor or Labour Day, was first proposed in the 1880s. In 1882, Matthew Maguire, a machinist, first proposed a Labor Day holiday while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union (CLU) of New York.[2] Some maintain that Peter J. McGuire of the American Federation of Labor put forward the first proposal in May 1882,[1] after witnessing the annual labour festival held in Toronto, Canada.[3] In 1887 Oregon became the first state of the United States to make Labor Day an official public holiday. By the time it became an official federal holiday in 1894, thirty U.S. states officially celebrated Labor Day.[1] Thus by 1887 in North America, Labor Day was an established, official holiday.[4]
Following the deaths of workers at the hands of United States Army and United States Marshals Service during the Pullman Strike of 1894, the United States Congress unanimously voted to approve legislation to make Labor Day a national holiday and President Grover Cleveland signed it into law six days after the end of the strike.[5] Cleveland supported the creation of the national holiday in an attempt to shore up support among trade unions following the Pullman Strike.[6] The date of May 1 (an ancient European holiday known as May Day) was an alternative date, celebrated then (and now) as International Workers Day, but President Cleveland was concerned that observance of Labor Day on May 1 would encourage Haymarket-style protests and would strengthen socialist and anarchist movements that, though distinct from one another, had rallied to commemorate the Haymarket Affair in International Workers' Day.[6][7]
All U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and the United States territories have made Labor Day a statutory holiday.
Celebrations
The form for the celebration of Labor Day was outlined in the first proposal of the holiday: A street parade to exhibit to the public "the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations",[2] followed by a festival for the workers and their families. This became the pattern for Labor Day celebrations. Speeches by prominent men and women were introduced later, as more emphasis was placed upon the civil significance of the holiday. Still later, by a resolution of the American Federation of Labor convention of 1909, the Sunday preceding Labor Day was adopted as Labor Sunday and dedicated to the spiritual and educational aspects of the Labor movement.[2]
Unofficial end of summer
Labor Day is called the "unofficial end of summer"[8] because it marks the end of the cultural summer season (summer scientifically ends at the September Equinox anytime from September 21 to 24). Many take their two-weeks vacation during the two weeks ending Labor Day Weekend. Many Fall activities, such as school and sports, begin about this time.
In the United States, many school districts resume classes around the Labor Day holiday weekend (see First day of school). Most begin the week before, making Labor Day weekend the first three-day weekend of the school calendar, while others return the Tuesday following Labor Day, allowing families one final getaway before the school year begins. Many districts across the Midwest are opting to begin school after Labor Day.[9]
In U.S. sports, Labor Day Weekend marks the beginning of many fall sports. National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) teams usually play their first games that weekend and the National Football League (NFL) traditionally play their kickoff game the Thursday following Labor Day. The Southern 500 NASCAR auto race has been held on Labor Day Weekend in Darlington, South Carolina since 1950. At Indianapolis Raceway Park, the National Hot Rod Association hold their finals of the NHRA U.S. Nationals drag race that weekend. Labor Day is the middle point between weeks 1 and 2 of the U.S. Open Tennis Championships held in Flushing Meadows, New York.
In fashion, Labor Day is (or was) considered the last day when it is acceptable to wear white[10] or seersucker.[11][12]
The unofficial beginning of summer is Memorial Day at the end of May.
Labor Day Sales
To take advantage of large numbers of potential customers with time to shop, Labor Day has become an important weekend for discounts and allowances by many retailers in the United States, especially for back-to-school sales. Some retailers claim it is one of the largest sale dates of the year, second only to the Christmas season's Black Friday.[13]
Dates
Year | Labor Day | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1900 | 1928 | 1956 | 1984 | 2012 | 2040 | 2068 | 2096 | September 3 |
1901 | 1929 | 1957 | 1985 | 2013 | 2041 | 2069 | 2097 | September 2 |
1902 | 1930 | 1958 | 1986 | 2014 | 2042 | 2070 | 2098 | September 1 |
1903 | 1931 | 1959 | 1987 | 2015 | 2043 | 2071 | 2099 | September 7 |
1904 | 1932 | 1960 | 1988 | 2016 | 2044 | 2072 | September 5 | |
1905 | 1933 | 1961 | 1989 | 2017 | 2045 | 2073 | September 4 | |
1906 | 1934 | 1962 | 1990 | 2018 | 2046 | 2074 | September 3 | |
1907 | 1935 | 1963 | 1991 | 2019 | 2047 | 2075 | September 2 | |
1908 | 1936 | 1964 | 1992 | 2020 | 2048 | 2076 | September 7 | |
1909 | 1937 | 1965 | 1993 | 2021 | 2049 | 2077 | September 6 | |
1910 | 1938 | 1966 | 1994 | 2022 | 2050 | 2078 | September 5 | |
1911 | 1939 | 1967 | 1995 | 2023 | 2051 | 2079 | September 4 | |
1912 | 1940 | 1968 | 1996 | 2024 | 2052 | 2080 | September 2 | |
1913 | 1941 | 1969 | 1997 | 2025 | 2053 | 2081 | September 1 | |
1914 | 1942 | 1970 | 1998 | 2026 | 2054 | 2082 | September 7 | |
1915 | 1943 | 1971 | 1999 | 2027 | 2055 | 2083 | September 6 | |
1916 | 1944 | 1972 | 2000 | 2028 | 2056 | 2084 | September 4 | |
1917 | 1945 | 1973 | 2001 | 2029 | 2057 | 2085 | September 3 | |
1918 | 1946 | 1974 | 2002 | 2030 | 2058 | 2086 | September 2 | |
1919 | 1947 | 1975 | 2003 | 2031 | 2059 | 2087 | September 1 | |
1920 | 1948 | 1976 | 2004 | 2032 | 2060 | 2088 | 2100 | September 6 |
1921 | 1949 | 1977 | 2005 | 2033 | 2061 | 2089 | 2101 | September 5 |
1922 | 1950 | 1978 | 2006 | 2034 | 2062 | 2090 | 2102 | September 4 |
1923 | 1951 | 1979 | 2007 | 2035 | 2063 | 2091 | 2103 | September 3 |
1924 | 1952 | 1980 | 2008 | 2036 | 2064 | 2092 | 2104 | September 1 |
1925 | 1953 | 1981 | 2009 | 2037 | 2065 | 2093 | 2105 | September 7 |
1926 | 1954 | 1982 | 2010 | 2038 | 2066 | 2094 | 2106 | September 6 |
1927 | 1955 | 1983 | 2011 | 2039 | 2067 | 2095 | 2107 | September 5 |
See also
References
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- ↑ Knights of Labor. Progressive Historians (3 September 2007).
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- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Sally Kohn (September 1, 2014). Why Labor Day was a political move. CNN. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
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Bibliography
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External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Labor Day in the United States. |
- History of Labor Day, History of Artists and Writers Unions, Rare Labor Related Comic Books
- What is The Date for Labor Day 2015
- Labor Day is May 1: Today is a boss’s holiday. Jacobin. September 7, 2015.
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- Holidays and observances by scheduling (nth weekday of the month)
- Infobox holiday with missing field
- Articles with Infobox holidays
- Infobox holiday (other)
- Commons category link is locally defined
- Labor in the United States
- Public holidays in the United States
- Recurring events established in 1882
- September observances
- Summer holidays
- 1882 establishments in the United States