What Is the History of Labor Day?

By Andrea Santiago

Question: What Is the History of Labor Day?

Why do we get a day off on Labor Day? What is the origin of the Labor Day Holiday?

Answer:

According to the Department of Labor, here are a few facts about the history of Labor Day:

• Labor Day is always celebrated on the first Monday of September.
• Labor Day was created to recognize the “social and economic achievements of American workers . . . and the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country,” according to the Department of Labor’s website.
• The first Labor Day was celebrated in New York City in 1882. Throughout the late 1800s, states and territories followed suit with legislation to officially designate the first Monday of September as the “working man’s holiday”.
• Labor Day was often celebrated with parades and festivals, and speeches by prominent civic leaders.
• While there is some debate as to which individual labor union officer initially founded the holiday, most historians agree that it was the Central Labor Union that originally adopted the proposal for Labor Day and planned the first Labor Day celebration.

For more information, visit the official website of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL).