Labor Day is a federal holiday on the first Monday of September every year. It has its roots in the American labor movement.
Is Labor Day a Public Holiday?
This is a state public holiday. State government offices are closed. Some schools and businesses may also be closed on this day.
What Day Is Labor Day?
Labor Day is on the first
Monday
of
September
every year and is a
national holiday
in the US. It has its origins in the labor movement and is a day to
celebrate American workers
.
People celebrate Labor Day with
picnics, sports events, and street parades
. The
American football season
begins on?or around?Labor Day.
Why don't the US celebrate in May, like the rest of the world?
Labor Day Weekend
Labor Day has become the
unofficial end
of
summer
?after
Labor Day Weekend
, kids are
back to school
.
For many, it is the last chance to take a break before school starts again for the fall session, and people take advantage of the long weekend to take a last summer trip. As a result, there may be
extra traffic on highways and at airports
.
History of Labor Day
Labor Day has deep roots in the
130 years of the labor movement
and its efforts to improve working conditions in America. It is also known as
International Workers’ Day
or
May Day
and is celebrated on
May 1 internationally
.
With the growth of the Industrial Revolution came the demand for labor and trade unions. Around the 1850s, eight-hour movements across the world aimed to
reduce the working day from ten to eight hours
. At its first congress in 1886, the American Federation of Labour called for a general strike in Chicago on May 1 to demand an eight-hour day, which culminated in what is known today as the Haymarket affair.
When Was the First Labor Day?
The first Labor Day celebration was the
Labor Day parade in New York City
on
September 5, 1882
. Its origins stem from the Central Labor Union’s and other labor organizations’ desire to create a holiday for workers. Oregon was the first state to pass it as a legal holiday in 1887, and by the end of the same year, Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York had passed laws creating a Labor Day holiday. President Grover Cleveland made it a
federal holiday in 1894
.
Who Founded Labor Day?
According to the
US Department of Labor
, it is not completely clear who first suggested the Labor Day holiday. Some sources say that
Matthew Maguire
proposed the holiday in 1882 while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York. Others argue that
Peter J. Mcguire
, co-founder of the American Federation of Labor, suggested a holiday for the ‘laboring classes’ in 1882.
The holiday was set on the
first Monday in September
because this was considered a more
politically neutral date
than May 1. Another reason was to add a holiday to bridge the long gap between
Independence Day
in
July
and
Thanksgiving
in
November
.
About Labor Day in Other Countries
Read more about
Labor Day
.
Labor Day Observances
While we diligently research and update our holiday dates, some of the information in the table above may be preliminary. If you find an error, please
let us know
.