| Labor Day is a federal holiday in the USA, observed on the first Monday of September. For the first time, it was observed in New York State in 1882 at the initiative of the Knights of Labor. In 1894, Congress declared Labor Day as federal holiday. After this, all 50 states have made Labor Day an official holiday.
Traditionally, Labor Day is celebrated by the majority of Americans as the symbolic end of summer.
Since 1880, Labor Day is celebrated on the first Monday of September in the United States. The form of celebrating Labor Day was proposed as a street parade, which presents the “strength and spirit de corps of the trade and labor organizations” and later on, a festival for workers and their families is organized. Speeches from eminent men and women were introduced later on but the main emphasis was given to the economic and civil significance of holiday. But later, according to the resolution of the American Federation of Labor convention of 1909, the Sunday preceding Labor Day was adopted as Labor Sunday, dedicated to the spiritual and educational aspects of the labor movement.
On the first Monday of September, USA and Canada celebrate Labor Day. This day is considered as an official border between summer and autumn.
In the brochure from the US Labor Ministry dedicated to Labor Day, it is mentioned that: “This holiday was born as a result of the movement by American workers. It became national because the country considers itself indebted to annually mark the contribution, which the American workers have put in and continue to bring in the same strength, riches and well-being which became assets of our people, with gratitude”.
Unlike Europe, where Labor Day is celebrated on May 1, this holiday in the US to a large extent is perceived not in the perspective of a historical labor movement but as an additional holiday. On this day, Americans organize camping all over the country and organize open air barbeques which are so fun for them.
The parade on Labor Day
It’s already more than a hundred years since working America observed its holiday –Labor Day on the first Monday of September every year. It is often possible to hear problems such as high taxes, public health services and education, which may lead to “class wars” in the discussions about the position of America. But, commentators notice that the real “class war” in the USA never existed as the majority of inhabitants of the country – both citizens and immigrants - unshakably believe that fair work opens the door to success.
Fair work and worthy compensation for the work done always were one of the basic principles of American society. The violation of this principle a century and a half ago nearly split the country. As Abraham Lincoln wrote in 1858 in criticism of the slavery system: “You work, strain, earn for your daily bread, and I eat it”. Lincoln could understand better than others that how “non-American” slavery was as a matter of fact and how much it belittled the labor contribution of an entire layer of American society.
Organizers of the labor movement in the USA were initiators for observing the holiday. For the first time, Labor Day was observed in 1882. Participants of demonstrations all over the country demanded the adoption of statutes, establishing normal working conditions, particularly an eight-hour working day. After two years, US Congress declared it as a national holiday.
In the due course of time, the labor union aspect of Labor Day lost its significance. At present on this day, relatives and friends traditionally gather for picnics and colorful parades are organized in many cities and townships. The majority of schools, banks and government institutions remain closed on Labor Day. For students and schoolboys, Labor Day marks the end of summer vacations and the beginning of the new academic year.
In the USA, the nature of labor employment has considerably changed. More and more Americans work in offices on computers instead of working in factory shops. But those who work on computers, as well as those, who work in factories, sense a connection with the workers of previous generations.
In his message on the occasion of holiday, President Bush has underlined that, the labor cadres of America differ in dynamism and high work efficiency and that they continue to enrapture the world. “We succeeded in the USA to create near perfect conditions, in which individuals can achieve propriety and success through their work” which was quoted in editorial comments in the newspaper the “Washington Post”. It however, according to the newspaper, does not cancel the necessity for finding answers to an entire set of questions, linked with inequality of payments and the improvement of positions for the millions of people who legally and illegally work for the country’s prosperity.
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Today is Labor Day in the United States, concluding the Labor Day weekend. Doug Larson once said: "If all the cars in the United States were placed end to end, it would probably be Labor Day Weekend."
