history of labor day

4 09, 2023

Celebrating Labor Day

By |2023-09-02T09:48:26-05:00September 4th, 2023|Holidays, Make Me Think Monday|0 Comments

Happy Labor Day!

Unlike most U.S. holidays, Labor Day is a strange celebration without rituals, well, except for shopping and barbecuing.

Peter J. McGuire, United Brotherhood of Carpenters founder, and Matthew Maguire, secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York, are considered founders of the U.S. Labor Day.

Central Labor Union adopted a Labor Day proposal in 1882 and appointed a committee to plan a demonstration and picnic. Workers agreed and staged a strike to get a day off work on the first Monday in September.

Twelve years later, in 1894, Labor Day became an official federal holiday though the bill did not give everyone a holiday. Only federal employees were authorized the day off by the law.

Over the years, emphasis changed from protests and demands and Labor Day shifted to honoring the labor movement and the social and economic achievements of all American workers.

Though the holiday has no rituals, addresses by union officials, industrialists, government officials, and others do receive coverage in social media, newspapers, and television.

Labor Day mostly signifies a three-day weekend filled with retail sales, an extra day away from work, and the unofficial end of summer.

Unless you work in retail then you’ll have some long working hours. Police, firefighters, nurses, and doctors will also experience heavy workloads because Labor Day is the second most dangerous holiday to drive on U.S. highways.

I’ll not be driving. I’ll be following Douglas Pagels’ advice.

“Sometimes it’s important to work for that pot of gold. But other times it’s essential to take time off and to make sure that your most important decision in the day simply consists of choosing which color to slide down on the rainbow.”

Why not join me? Relax, grab one last hot dog, and slide down your rainbow beam.

3 09, 2018

Labor Day Rest and Rainbows

By |2018-09-02T06:35:42-05:00September 3rd, 2018|Holidays, Make Me Think Monday|1 Comment

Today is Labor Day. Unlike most U.S. holidays, it is a strange celebration without rituals, well, except for shopping and barbecuing. Interesting to note that Labor Day is also celebrated in Canada.

Peter J. McGuire, founder of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters, and Matthew Maguire, secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York, are considered founders of the U.S. Labor Day. They sought a means of unifying union workers and a reduction in work time.

Central Labor Union adopted a Labor Day proposal in the 1882 and appointed a committee to plan a demonstration and picnic. Workers agreed  and staged a strike to get a day off work on the first Monday in September.

Twelve years later, in 1894, Labor Day became an official federal holiday though the bill did not give everyone a holiday. Only federal employees are authorized the day off by the law.

Over the years, emphasis changed from protests and demands and Labor Day shifted to honoring the labor movement and the social and economic achievements of all American workers.

Though the holiday has no rituals, addresses by union officials, industrialists, government officials, and others do receive coverage in social media, newspapers, and television.

Nowadays Labor Day mostly signifies a three-day weekend filled with retail sales, an extra day away from work, and the unofficial end of summer and hot dog season. A day to laze around the house and watch the kickoff of the NFL season.

It’s a weekend to play and relax unless you work in retail then you’ll have some long working hours. Police, firefighters, nurses, etc. will also experience heavy workloads because Labor Day is the second most dangerous holiday weekend to drive on U.S. highways.

Taking a day for relaxation is a good thing according Douglas Pagels.

"Sometimes it's important to work for that pot of gold. But other times it's essential to take time off and to make sure that your most important decision in the day simply consists of choosing which color to slide down on the rainbow."

If you’re one of those people who works all the time, why not follow Pagels’ advice today. Pick a rainbow color, grab one last hot dog, and slide down your rainbow beam.

2 09, 2013

It’s Labor Day – Celebrate

By |2013-09-02T06:39:28-05:00September 2nd, 2013|Make Me Think Monday|0 Comments

If you’ve read my blog for long, you know I like to celebrate holidays with facts and vintage cards.

First the facts…

The first Labor Day was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The idea spread with the growth of labor organizations, and in 1885, Labor Day was celebrated in many industrial centers of the country with parades and speeches.

In 1894, it became an official federal holiday.

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Now the cards…

All celebrate what today is truly about—honoring the workers of American.

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Labor Day doesn’t have speeches and parades so much anymore. Today we think of Labor Day as the end of summer, a day of no labor.

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Work is good, but play is also important. I leave you with this great quote.

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Now, pick your rainbow color, grab a hot dog, and SLIDE!

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