Labor Day
Why is Labor Day not on May 1?
Is Labor Day a federal holiday?
When is Labor Day?
What is the purpose of Labor Day?
Where did Labor Day come from?
What is Labor Day weekend?
What is the difference between Labor Day and May Day?
Labor Day, in the United States, holiday (first Monday in September) honoring workers and recognizing their contributions to society. The first Labor Day parade was held in 1882 in New York City. Two years later the Knights of Labor adopted a resolution that the first Monday in September be considered Labor Day. The idea quickly spread across the country. Labor Day became a federal holiday in 1894. It continues to be celebrated with parades, and the day is traditionally considered the end of summer in the United States.
Labour Day is also held in Canada. Similar to the United States, the day is celebrated on the first Monday in September, and it has been a federal statutory holiday since 1894. In many other countries May Day serves a similar purpose.
Origins in the U.S.
The origins of Labor Day can be traced to the labor movement of the late 19th century in the United States. There is some uncertainty as to who deserves credit for the idea; most cite either Peter J. McGuire, a union leader who founded the United Brotherhood of Carpenters in 1881, or Matthew Maguire, a machinist and secretary of the Central Labor Union (CLU). One of the men suggested to the CLU that there be a celebration honoring American workers. On September 5 some 10,000 workers, under the sponsorship of the Knights of Labor, held a parade in New York City. There was no particular significance to the date, and McGuire said that it was chosen because it fell roughly halfway between the Fourth of July holiday and Thanksgiving.
" height="20" alt="HEW Logo">
In 1884 the Knights of Labor adopted a resolution that the first Monday in September be considered Labor Day. The idea quickly spread, and by the following year Labor Day celebrations were being held in a number of states. Oregon became the first state, in 1887, to grant legal status to the holiday (although the state initially celebrated it on the first Saturday in June). That same year Colorado, New York, Massachusetts, and New Jersey established the holiday on the first Monday in September, and other states soon followed.
Federal holiday and traditions
In 1894 the Pullman Strike in Illinois, as well as a series of unemployed workersâ riots on May Day in Cleveland, prompted U.S. Pres. Grover Cleveland to make a conciliatory gesture to the labor movement. He proposed creating a national public holiday to commemorate workers. The most obvious choice was either Labor Day or May Day. However, the latterâs socialist origins and its association with various workersâ riots, notably Chicagoâs Haymarket Affair of 1886, made May Day unacceptable. So, Labor Day was selected, and on June 28, 1894, Cleveland signed legislation making it an official federal holiday.
Over the years, particularly as the influence of unions waned, the significance of Labor Day in the United States changed. For many people it became an end-of-summer celebration and a long weekend for family get-togethers. At the same time, it has continued to be celebrated with parades and speeches, as well as political rallies, and the day is sometimes the official kickoff date for national political campaigns.
Canada and May Day
In Canada the first parades of workers were held in 1872 in Ottawa and Toronto, and later in that year the law making labor unions illegal was repealed. McGuire was invited to speak at the celebration in 1882. In 1894 Parliament officially recognized the holiday in Canada.
The trusted destination for professionals, college students, and lifelong learners.
SUBSCRIBE
Most other countries honor workers on May Day (May 1). The day was a major holiday in communist countries, and it continues to be important where left-wing political parties and labor movements wield influence.
