Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions that workers have made to the strength, prosperity and well-being of our country. The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5th, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. In 1884, the first Monday in September was selected as the holiday, as originally proposed, and the Central Labor Union urged similar organizations in other cities to follow the example of New York and celebrate a “workingmen’s holiday” on that date. On June 28th, 1894 Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday.
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- Popular fashion etiquette used to be that it was inappropriate to wear white after Labor Day, with white shoes being especially frowned upon.
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- Since 1966, the annual telethon of the Muscular Dystrophy Association takes place over Labor Day weekend. It’s hosted by Jerry Lewis.
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- Boomsday, an enormous fireworks display, takes place every Labor Day in Knoxville, Tennessee. It attracts over 350-thousand spectators.
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- Labor Day also marks the beginning of football season. Most NCAA teams play their first games over the weekend, while the NFL regular season starts on the first Thursday following.
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