We have Monday off!
But why?
Growing up, I always wondered why we didn’t have to go to school and my parents didn’t have to work on “Labor” Day (since the name would imply you’d be laboring on that day, right?).
So, here is some interesting info on the creation of Labor Day:
The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on September 5, 1883.
In 1884 the first Monday in September was selected as the holiday, as originally proposed, and the Central Labor Union urged similar organizations in other cities to follow the example of New York and celebrate a “workingmen’s holiday” on that date. The idea spread with the growth of labor organizations, and in 1885 Labor Day was celebrated in many industrial centers of the country.
via U.S. DOL – The History of Labor Day.
And here’s an 8 min long video from the History Channel on the origins of Labor Day:
So, as you enjoy your day off from school, keep in mind the history behind the day!
