Monday, September 5, 2016

Labor Day

Labor Day


This article is about the U.S. holiday. For other uses, see Labor Day (disambiguation).
Labor Day
First United States Labor Day Parade, September 5, 1882 in New York City.jpg
Labor Day Parade in New York's Union Square, 1882
Observed byUnited States
TypeNational
CelebrationsParades, barbecues
DateFirst Monday in September
2015 dateSeptember 7
2016 dateSeptember 5
2017 dateSeptember 4
2018 dateSeptember 3
FrequencyAnnual
Related toLabour 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. The holiday is also a federal holiday.
Beginning in the late 19th century, as the trade union and labor movementsgrew, 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, Oregonwas 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. statesofficially 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.

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. McGuireof 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 thePullman 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 anarchistmovements 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 friends and 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 officially ends at the September Equinox anytime from September 21 to 24). Many take their two-week vacations 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 theirkickoff game the Thursday following Labor Day. The Southern 500 NASCAR auto race has been held on Labor Day Weekend at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina from 1950 to 2003 and since 2015. 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 one and two 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" in the U.S. is Memorial Day at the end of May.

Labor Day sales[edit]

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

YearLabor Day
19001928195619842012204020682096September 3
19011929195719852013204120692097September 2
19021930195819862014204220702098September 1
19031931195919872015204320712099September 7
1904193219601988201620442072September 5
1905193319611989201720452073September 4
1906193419621990201820462074September 3
1907193519631991201920472075September 2
1908193619641992202020482076September 7
1909193719651993202120492077September 6
1910193819661994202220502078September 5
1911193919671995202320512079September 4
1912194019681996202420522080September 2
1913194119691997202520532081September 1
1914194219701998202620542082September 7
1915194319711999202720552083September 6
1916194419722000202820562084September 4
1917194519732001202920572085September 3
1918194619742002203020582086September 2
1919194719752003203120592087September 1
19201948197620042032206020882100September 6
19211949197720052033206120892101September 5
19221950197820062034206220902102September 4
19231951197920072035206320912103September 3
19241952198020082036206420922104September 1
19251953198120092037206520932105September 7
19261954198220102038206620942106September 6
19271955198320112039206720952107September 5
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