Labor Day
Americans had high work standards in the nineteenth century. They worked hard and took pride in doing their job well.
The Idea for Labor Day
No one knows for certain who came up with idea to establish a holiday for workers. Some believe it was first suggested by Peter J. McGuire, co-founder of the American Federation of Labor. Others say Matthew Macguire suggested it while working in New York as secretary of the Central Labor Union.
Whoever thought of it, a committee of the Central Labor Union planned a demonstration and picnic in 1882.
Working Men’s Holiday
Labor Day was first celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City.
Although the organizers planned Labor Day as a holiday for all workers, it was first known as a Working Man’s Holiday. Organizers designated the first Monday in September as Labor Day.
End of summer
For many years, communities celebrated Labor Day with parades. Today, it is most often celebrated with a three-day weekend and a picnic. Most people consider it the traditional end of summer.
– Sandra Merville Hart
Sources:
Greif, Martin. The Holiday Book: America’s Festivals and Celebrations. The Main Street Press, 1978.
Staino, Patricia A. The Mailbox Magic Moments: Holidays & Celebrations with Your Kids. The EducationCenter, 1997.
“The History of Labor Day.” United States Department of Labor. 21 March 2013. http://www.dol.gov/opa/aboutdol/laborday.htm.
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