Labor Day – Already?!

Wow – it’s hard to believe that yet another summer season is just about over. Yes, summer isn’t officially over for another 4 weeks or so, but for most of us who have kids heading back to school, the summer season is wrapped up. Labor Day is here, marking the unofficial end of summer, but have you ever given any thought to the origin of Labor Day?

Labor Day is a holiday like no other in the world. Celebrated on the first Monday of September, it is dedicated to honoring the contributions of U.S. workers to the strength and prosperity of our country. The first Labor Day was celebrated on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 1882, in New York City.

Two different people are credited with the creation of Labor Day. Some historians believe Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and cofounder of the American Federation of Labor, first suggested a holiday to honor those “who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold.”

Others credit the idea to Matthew Maguire, a machinist and secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York. What is agreed upon is that the Central Labor Union adopted a Labor Day proposal and appointed a committee to plan a demonstration and picnic.

Whomever really came up with the ideas isn’t as important as recognizing the contributions of all laborers in our great country. Enjoy the holiday. Remember if you need a weather forecast for the day you can find it here, or if you need some picnic food ideas we have lots of tasty recipes as well.

Technorati Tags:
labor day, end of summer, origin of labor day, holiday