Labor Day honors the American labor movement and the working class of American society.
Labor Day was proposed at the end of the XIXth century by American unions and labor movements as a day off for workers across the country. It was a time when working-class was beginning to collaborate and fight for decent working conditions and fair payment. They chose a day between July 4th and Thanksgiving as a general holiday for the laboring classes. The aim was to have good weather for picnics and public celebrations. Labor Day is different from International Workers’ Day held in more than 80 countries on May 1st. While the aim and the beginnings are similar, labor unions disagreed on date and significance for the two days. The United States of America has adopted Labor Day as a federal holiday in 1894.
Labor Day is the last day of what’s called Labor Weekend. It’s celebrated with barbeques, picnics, parties, sports activities, and public events. The most popular are New York’s Labor Day Carnival and Washington’s Labor Day Concert.
Labor Day is celebrated each year, on the first Monday of September.
Labor Day is one of the ten federal holidays recognized by the United States Government. Federal non-essential government offices and many private businesses are closed on Labor Day.
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