Admin Note: This post was originally written for Labor Day. We apologize for the delay in posting!

Labor Day.  The working man’s (and woman’s!) holiday. Summer’s last hurrah. For some people, it’s just a three day weekend from work or school. The end of wearing white for the year.  One last cookout, one last bonfire, one last lazy day before saying good-bye to summer.

But have we lost sight of what Labor Day really is? Most forget that Labor Day is to honor the American worker.  When nearly 6 million of the work force were women and children, and 10 to 16 hour days, six or seven days a week were the norm, Labor Day was intended to be a celebration of the working men, with a parade to show “the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations.” The parade was followed by festivals for the workers and their families to enjoy.

As we enjoy our extra day off – or conduct business as usual – here’s some interesting tidbits about Labor Day:

• Labor Day originates from Canada. Canadians were striking against a 58 hour workweek.  American workers didn’t fare much better – they were working 10 to 16 hour days in harsh conditions.
• The first Labor Day celebration was held in New York City’s Union Square on Tuesday, September 5, 1882.
• More than 10,000 workers took an unpaid holiday to parade from Broadway to Union Square, despite threats of being fired.
• The first state to declare Labor Day as a state holiday? Oregon in 1887. Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York passed the law later that year.
• In 1894,  Labor Day was established as a federal holiday.  President Grover Cleveland signed a bill that year designating the first Monday in September as Labor Day.
• Esprit de corps is “a feeling of pride, fellowship, and common loyalty shared by the members of a particular group”
• And the rule about not wearing white after Labor Day?  White clothing was worn as the lighter summer clothing by those wealthy enough to travel for vacation.  They had to put their white clothes away at the end of the summer and return to wearing the dark, drab working clothes.

As always, have fun, but celebrate responsibly!

– Crystal Litzau

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