Honoring Labor Day...

How quickly summer has flown by and our minds will shortly shift to fall festivals and pumpkin carving. Before we do, let’s reflect on Labor Day and the meaning behind it before the unoffical “end of summer” sets in… No matter how we may spend Labor Day, it’s important to keep in mind the true history behind this holiday.

Labor Day is a U.S. federal holiday, which is held the first Monday in September, it was created in honor of workers and laborers. It was created when labor looked much different than it does today. 

The first Labor Day celebration took place in New York City on September 5, 1882 and was sponsored by the Central Labor Union. About 10,000 union workers marched in a parade to honor American workers, who at the time were without the labor laws we now take for granted. 

In the years since, labor unions have served as a united voice for workers of all professions to advocate for better wages, working conditions and to establish parameters of work life that have become commonplace and law, such as the eight-hour-workday, five-day work weeks, protection for children in the workplace and the federal minimum wage. 

To  honor and celebrate  the original spirit of Labor Day, give yourself the day off. Shut off your phone, computer and other electronic devices connecting you to your daily grind. Then go to a bbq, spend time together with frineds and family like the original participants did over a century ago, and celebrate having the day off thanks to those who made it possible for us!