Labor Day: the weekend that ends Summer. But how it started?

We all know what Labor Day is. The holiday is celebrated on the first Monday of September, and it is the time for parties, picnics, or barbeques. For many Americans Labor Day is also a symbol of the beginning of the new school year and the end of the summer holidays.

And that is very similar to what the first celebrations were. The first Labor Day was celebrated in 1882, in New York City. About 10,000 workers, supported by the Central Labor Union and by activists, took unpaid time off and came out on the streets for a big parade. They wanted to attract citizens’ attention to the workers, and their impact on the country’s wealth and prosperity.

In the next couple of years, multiple states adopted the Labor Day parades. By 1894, 23 out of 50 states were celebrating the holiday. It became very popular among all kinds of workers around the United States.

The same year, President Grover Cleveland made the holiday official by signing the law and scheduling it for the first Monday of September.

In the beginning, the holiday was very informal and was celebrated during a picnic season at the end of August. For this reason, the official date of Labor Day was chosen to be the beginning of September, a warm season, when people could go out and celebrate.

Labor Day might not have the same importance it did back in the 19th century, but it is still well-remembered and is a great reminder of the labor all the workers do, their sacrifices, and their achievements that keeps carrying on the well-being of the United States.

Article by Mary Zakharova