Taking the Day Off!

I hope everyone is enjoying Labor Day! We sure are! Any paid Holiday off is a good day! Here is some history on Labor Day! Enjoy your day off all of you hard laborers!!

Labor Day is an annual holiday observed on the first Monday in September to celebrate the economic and social achievements of laborers which consists of most of us. It represents an annual national tribute to the contributions we as laborers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

The history of Labor Day in the United States dates back in September 5, 1882 in New York City in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. By 1884, the first Monday in September was selected as the holiday to celebrate Labor Day, as originally proposed by the union. Since then, the Central Labor Union urged similar organizations in other cities to follow the example of New York and celebrate a “workingmen’s holiday” on that date.

With the growth of labor organizations, the idea spread and it became a federal holiday in 1894, when, following the deaths of a number of workers at the hands of the U.S. military and U.S. Marshals during the Pullman Strike, President Grover Cleveland put reconciliation with the labor movement as a top political priority. Because of a fear of conflict, legislation making Labor Day a national holiday was rushed through Congress unanimously and signed into law a mere six days after the end of the strike. By June 28 of 1894, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday in the District of Columbia and the territories.

Traditionally, Labor Day is celebrated by most Americans as the symbolic end of the summer. The holiday is often regarded as a day of rest and parties. In terms of US sports, Labor Day marks the beginning of the NFL and college football seasons. NCAA teams usually play their first games the week before Labor Day, with the NFL traditionally playing their first game the Thursday following Labor Day.