Labor Day: Its Origins and Traditions

American Labor Day is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It is a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and general well-being of this country.

This American version of the holiday is quite unique amongst labor days in both its celebrations and date. Contrary to the implication in the name of the public holiday, it is actually a day of rest! Most countries who have a labor day celebrate it on the first Monday in May, but ever since its introduction in America in 1882, Americans have basked in a day of relaxation on the first Monday in September. This long weekend became obligatory by an Act passed in Congress in 1896 declaring the day a public holiday!

Labor Day was introduced in this country by the National Labor Union, the first national labor federation in the United States. This paved the way for societies such as the Knights of Labor. These self proclaimed knights were perhaps slightly producerist, however their ideology was to demand an end to child and convict labor, require equal pay for women, a progressive income tax, and the cooperative employer-employee ownership of mines and factories.

The Knights had a reputation for being all-inclusive...judge for yourselves: women, blacks (after 1883), and employers were accepted as members. However, they excluded from membership those people they considered to be unproductive to society; in this generalisation were bankers, doctors, lawyers, gamblers, stockholders, and liquor manufacturers, as well as Asians, in support of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882.

When first introduced, the form of the observance day included a street parade exhibiting to the public the strength and spirit of the trade and labor organizations of the community, followed by a festival for the recreation and amusement of the workers and their families (www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labor_Day). Today the celebrations follow much along the lines of those seen on Independence day: barbecues, picnics, fireworks, etc. All of us at Headworks wish you, your family and friends a relaxing Labor Day this weekend!