Labor Day: Definition, History, & Celebrations in USA

Labor Day is the yearly celebration of workers and their accomplishments. It is ideally celebrated on the first Monday of September in the United States.

The entire purpose of the holiday for organizations is to show their employee just how much they are appreciated which helps in building team culture and employee retention.

During the day the workers will be recognized for their work and contribution to society. They don't have to work and can enjoy their time by doing things they like.

The exact date of labor day changes almost every year, as it falls on the first Monday in September, so the date differs according to the calendar.

While USA celebrates the Labor Day in September, most of the country celebrates the day on May 1st as International Worker Day.

But the common thing about each and every country is Labour Day is considered a public holiday even though it differs in date and time.

According to the U.S. Department of Labour, Labour Day was first observed informally by labor activists and individual states in the late 1800s.

Oregon became the first state to pass a law recognizing Labor Day on February 21, 1887, while New York was the first city to introduce a bill.

After that, four more states that are Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York also passed laws about a Labor Day holiday following the neighboring state Oregon.

Following that, Connecticut, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania also followed the new rules of giving holidays to the workers.

In a similar way, 23 additional states chose to recognize the holiday in 1894, and on June 28, 1894, Congress ultimately passed a law declaring the first Monday in September of every year a legal holiday.

The Founder Of The Labor Day

There is no clarity about the original founder of Labour Day as some studies suggest it was Peter J, McGuire while others argue that it was Matthew Maguire.

Peter J McGuire was the co-founder of the American Federation of Labor as well as general security of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners. 

He was the one who came up with the idea for the worker's holiday to honor those who labor and passed their difficult journey of working in a company to help in the growth of the nation.

Similarly, Matthew Maguire served as the secretary of Paterson, New Jersey's Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists.

He is believed that be the one who actually founded labor day as he proposed the holiday in 1882 during his tenure as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York.

However, both leaders attended the first-ever Labor Day parade in New York City.

The inaugural Labour Day holiday was observed on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City. More than 10,000 workers show their union and marched in the parade.

The parade was organized by the Central Labor Union, with a group representing 60 unions. These activists were committed to the fight for the eight-hour day working environment.

As the parade day was organized on the working day, the participants had to give up daily wages in order to participate in the parade.

The movement of the Central Labor Union was highly appreciated by most of the publications and wrote about it in the daily paper.

No White After Labor Day

The traditional rule that white clothing should not be worn after Labour Day is the subject of many rumors. Various research offers various justifications for the rules.

The rule is connected to social class in New York City in the 19th century. The dress code was used to judge people's status and what type of job they do.

In the past, New York City's streets weren't as paved as they are now, and it was very dusty.  Any white clothing would quickly become dirty if you worked as a laborer or came from a blue-collar household

Additionally, people think they should wear clothes according to their social status. Therefore, only selected and rich people couple afford to wear them on a daily basis.

People currently don't really follow the guidelines and dress in any way they want to according to their interests, while some older families still appear to follow old rules.

Labor Day Is considered As The Unofficial End Of Summer

Labor Day is widely denoted as the unofficial end of summer because it marks the end of the cultural summer season in the United States.

Around this time, many autumn activities, including school and sports, especially football, start, and in just a few days, the first signs of winter will start to appear.

It's also a fantastic time to take a break and spend the final holiday of the summer at the beach with your friends and family while the water is still a pleasant temperature.

Similarly, for some students who attend school, Labour Day marks the conclusion of their summer break. They return to class after the long weekend holiday.

The month that the state fair concludes and the amusement park industry grows in several U.S. states. The weekend is considered the start of numerous sports in the world of sports.

Additionally, in the fashion world, Labour Day was seen as the final day when wearing white was acceptable but this is not applicable in today's time.

Labor Day is a yearly celebration of workers and their achievements. The country provides paid holidays to each and every worker for their contribution.

During the later 1800s, there were many industrial revolutions in the country and the average American worked 12-hour days and seven-day weeks just to earn minimum wages.

Even children from a very early age have to work in factories, mines, and mills just to earn little something to run the family.

People who were from poor backgrounds or immigrants often faced extremely unsafe working conditions. They won't get any facilities as well as breaks.

Then the worker union began raising their voice against injustice and asked them to provide their basic rights and started protesting against things.

Later, they were successful in creating a safe space for themself and the country decided to acknowledge their contribution and honor the day as Labor Day.

Purpose Of Creating Labor Movement

Labor Movement started out of the need to protect the common interest of workers. They fought for more pay, reasonable working hours, and safer working conditions.

They also made an effort to stop child labor, give health benefits and provide health insurance to workers who work there or are about to retire.

Because of their sacrifice and fights, people are now able to get each and every working benefit. Those unions were the reason behind all this growth in the industrial industry.

In recent years, U.S. labor unions have seen their membership decline as people have shifted to white-collar jobs rather than blue-collar jobs that were common before.

By the end of the 1980s, Less than 17 percent of American employees were active in the labor movement. But the positive part is the movement's rise in 2023 despite the economic crisis.

Labor Day is once again approaching near, this year the Labor Day falls on September 4, 2023. Every year, the celebrations of labor day date change.

Activities like parades and picnics are considered the original theme of the Labor Day celebration. However, the idea of celebration has changed with time.

Today, Labor Day is Celebrated with various different activities according to their interest and choices.

Here are some of the things you can do on labor day:

1. Attending Parade

Labor Day Parade is one of the most colorful events in New York City where around three million people come out to celebrate Caribbean culture.

Attending the parade is considered the traditional way of celebrating Labors Day. There are still some states or towns that have union-organized parades.

Some of them are West Indian Day Parade, West Michigan Labor Day Parade, Chicago Labor Day Parade, Toledo Labor Day Parade, Brooklyn Labor Day Carnival Parade, and more.

It is a good way to show the unity of the workers as well as you can bond with people who belong to several companies and organizations.

2. Attending Concerts or Music Festivals

Similar to parades, this day there are various music festivals and concerts which are organized by the areas or the companies.

You can get informed about this through social media or other online portals. This will give you refreshment and time to enjoy some beautiful songs.

Some of the music festivals happening on Labor Day 2023 are, Made In America Festival in Philadelphia, North Coast Music Festivals, Electic Zoo in New York, Detroit Jazz Festivals in Michigan, and more.

3. Hosting Parties

Labor Day is a three-day long weekend where you can celebrate it by hosting parties with your close friends, families, and co-worker.

You can organize indoor parties and avoid going out, a roundtable talk along with a barbecue, some fresh foods and drinks will make the party environment beautiful.

Along with food and drink,  you can also play some fun family-friendly games like cards, badminton, croquet, dancing, singing competition, and many more.

4. Short Trip

A short trip away from home with family and friends is also considered one of the best activities during labor day. You can plan where you wanted to go prior to the holiday.

Trips like long car rides, hiking, visiting local unexplored places, or nights out with your colleague from the office or company can also be done during the weekend.

Moreover, people also like to visit the beach as the summer is about to end and they wanted to enjoy the remaining summer in an exotic beach tanning with friends.

5. Day Picnic Or Camping

If you don't like to organize parties or gather people at your house then going into the nature can for a picnic or camping can be the best idea to celebrate your labor weekend.

You can also extend the office to your colleague to join the outing. If you are a night person then you would love camping and watching the beautiful stars full of the sky.

But if you dislike going out at night then you can organize a cozy yet beautiful picnic with the near and dear ones to you.

6. Shopping

On the occasion of labor day, several stores offer sales of their product. In fact, it is the biggest time of the year that provides a variety of offers for different products.

If you want to add some new furniture, household items, electronic items, garden supplies, jewelry, or clothes then this is the perfect time of the year to fulfill your desire.

May Day is widely refers as Worker's Day or International Worker's Day. It is a celebration of the working classes and laborers.

It is observed every first Monday in May, unlike the American holiday of Labour Day. The 1st May date was first chosen by the American Federation of Labor but ended up in war.

Labor Day is observed by the United States and Canada on the first Monday of September while the May day is celebrated every first Monday of May.

Labour Day is traditionally celebrated with parades and barbecues, whereas May Day is marked by poles, festivities, and a wide range of dishes.

Additionally, May Day marks the beginning of the spring season and the regeneration of nature, while Labour Day denotes the unofficial conclusion of the summer season.

May Day is also remembered as an old-fashioned European holiday. They pick wildflowers and greenery for the celebration, weave flower garlands, appoint a May Queen, and erect a Maypole.

Why Don't Americans Celebrate May Day?

The United States of America has a complex history with May Day. There is no official recognition of May as a national holiday for Labour Day.

In the 1886 incident that came to be known as the Haymarket event, the labor union was on a prolonged strike for their rights.

The protest turned violent when capitalist police attacked workers demonstrating near the McCormick Reaper plant which later turned even more violent and took the life of many civilians and police officers.

As a result, President Dwight D. Eisenhower proclaimed May 1 as Law Day in honor of the legal principles of government under law, and the Congress government decided September for labor day.