Labor Day Weekend -- Three Days of Rest!
Posted: Monday, September 07, 2009
by Gerry Charbonneau
http://nibblednews.typepad.com
Happy Labor Day!
The first Labor Day in the United States was celebrated on September 5, 1882 in New York City. It was originally meant to be a celebration of the U.S. labor movement and its achievements.
The holiday itself originated in Canada out of labor disputes ("Nine-Hour Movement") first in Hamilton and then in Toronto Ontario Canada in the 1870's which resulted in a Trade Union Act which legalized and protected union activity in 1872 in Canada.
Inspired from the Canadian events in Toronto, McGuire returned to New York and organized the first American Labor Day on September 5, 1882.
Traditionally, however, the day is celebrated by most Americans as the symbolic end of the summer season. It has over time been transformed into being the last, three-day-long weekend before autumn.
Labor Day, officially recognized as the first Monday in September, is a celebration of the value and the dignity of work, and its role in the American way of life. It is a day of rest for many people as well as a federal holiday. The three-day weekend to honor labor is also celebrated in Canada during this time.
Calling it Labor Day is actually less common as most countries prefer to call it either May Day or, in some instances, International Workers Day.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the day is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American Workers.
This special commemorative time is set aside for the working man, not the labor organizer, union organizer or community organizer. It is now a day set aside for family picnics, fireworks displays, parades, local baseball games and of course political speeches.
The day, an important occasion for the nation, is a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of the country.
For more than an estimated 15 million Americans, the day itself is just another reminder that they are unemployed, and many of those workers who do have a job are not entirely sure they will be able to keep them.
It is ironic that the day itself is a day away from work. Three days of resting, relaxing and reflecting on the past summer season. A time for family, barbecues and perhaps the occasional political speech and baseball game.
Labor Day is the one holiday, no matter what your faith, motto or creed that we can all get behind and support. It is the one day we celebrate the fact that the American worker , no matter what his or her role in the overall economic scheme of things, has made vital contributions towards the overall prosperity and wealth of the nation.
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