Labor Day
Labor Day
The end of summer means final outdoor parties and last breaths of the warm air. In the United States, the beginning of September is the last possibility to enjoy the hot season with friends and family. On the first Monday of the month there comes the much deserved free-from-work Labor Day.
It is an official public holiday that praises the society of workers and the entirety of the American labor movement for their productivity and contribution to the country’s welfare throughout the year. School starts right before or right after Labor Day, so the holiday becomes the last opportunity for summer adventures. Hence, although some communities organize public events including sports, concerts, and fireworks, most Americans use this day to take a final trip or to stay at home with family and not participate in the city happenings.
There is a dispute concerning the origins of Labor Day in the United States. For some it is obvious that a machinist Matthew Maguire of the Central Labor Union first suggested the idea in 1882, proposing the first Monday of September as the date. Others claim that it was the American Federation of Labor’s Peter J. McGuire that borrowed the concept of the holiday from the Canadian labour festival. Either way, the first Labor Day was held in 1882, adopted by the Central Labor Union. The early idea of celebration was a parade. The first state to establish Labor Day as an official public holiday was Oregon in 1887. Throughout the next seven years, thirty more states approved of the celebration and in 1894, Labor Day became a federal holiday by the decree of President Grover Cleveland.
Although most countries in the world celebrate it on May 1 (May Day or International Workers’ Day), the United States changed the date into the first Monday in September. While some sources state that it happened simply because there was too large a gap in holidays between Independence Day and Thanksgiving, others affirm that the US Government did not wish to strengthen the socialist sensibilities in the country.
Apart from the yearly parades, public appearances of famous officials were added to the Labor Day celebrations. Nowadays, however, these nation- or statewide happenings are prominent no more; the exception to the rule occurs during presidential campaigns. The most important event of September is the first NFL game of the season; it occurs on Thursday after Labor Day. Other famous sports broadcasts that attract attention at this time are: NCAA games, NASCAR and NHRA races, and the U.S. Open Tennis Championships, which are held before, throughout, and after the holiday. What is directly connected to Labor Weekend, however, are the shopping sales that compare only to the Christmas’ Black Friday.
Labor Day is free from work for most Americans. Federal and public institutions are closed, and many businesses also take a day off. It might be believed that nowadays people do not respect or honor the holiday’s origins, because instead of gathering together in nationwide events, almost everyone celebrates in separate, private groups. However, is it not the purpose of Labor Day to relax after long days of work, in any way one sees fit?