Before you heat up the grill, hit the pool, and enjoy your three-day weekend, make sure you remember what the Labor Day weekend is really all about.
Here are 16 facts you should know about Labor Day.
- The first Labor Day was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882.
- It was planned by the Central Labor Union in New York City.
- That first Labor Day, 10,000 workers marched through New York and ended the march and parade with a picnic and festivities with their families.
- The idea for Labor Day may have originated in Canada.
- One of two people proposed the idea of Labor Day as a holiday. It was either Peter J. McGuire, co-founder of the American Federation of Labor or it was Matthew Maguire, a machinist.
- The first state to celebrate Labor Day as a legal holiday was Oregon in 1887.
- President Grover Cleveland designated Labor Day a national holiday in 1894.
- Labor Day was moved to the first Monday in September when it was designated an official holiday.
- Originally Labor Day was meant to recognize and celebrate the contributions of the American workforce.
- Now, it’s a weekend commonly seen as the end of summer and a three-day weekend where people go to the beach or hang out at the pool, have cookouts, and enjoy themselves one last time for summer.
- New York City still holds a Labor Day parade every year to commemorate the first one, and it follows the same route as the first Labor Day parade in 1882.
- Other countries have their own version of Labor Day, known as May Day, which is celebrated on May 1.
- Not wearing white after Labor Day was something the elite classes created as a fashion rule to figure out who was “nouveau riche” and who has “old money.” It’s an arbitrary rule you can safely ignore.
- The time between Memorial Day and Labor Day is the peak season for eating hot dogs.
- Three day weekends might be good for your health as they encourage extra rest.
- Labor Day is the second deadliest holiday weekend for car accidents, so be careful out there!
If you didn’t know the history of Labor Day, you’re not alone. Now that you’ve learned a little something, make sure to have a fun and relaxing weekend! Enjoy the last bit of summer and your extra time off of work. Remember, this weekend is all about you — the American worker!
Happy Labor Day from everyone at Charlotte Insurance!