Some of you are following these prompts on Labor Day: 1. Sit in traffic. 2. Shop. 3. Picnic. 4. Mark the end of summer. But do you know why we are even celebrating this holiday or how it was started? Something to do with labor and hard work, right?
According to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), “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 workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country. The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on September 5, 1883. 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 “working men’s holiday” on that date. The legalized celebration of Labor Day began as individual state celebrations. In 1887, New York, New Jersey and Colorado were among the first states to approve state legal holidays. Then other states joined in to create their own state Labor Days. Finally, in response to a groundswell of support for a national holiday celebrating the nation’s workers, Senator James Henderson Kyle of South Dakota introduced S. 730 to the 53rd Congress to make Labor Day a legal holiday on the first Monday of September each year. It was approved on June 28, 1894.
No matter how you chose to celebrate, take the time to remember the hard work that gave us the nation we have today. Margaret Mead, American cultural anthropologist said, I learned the value of hard work by working hard. Reflect on your leadership and intentional growth, when did you apply the concept of labor and hard work to your own actions? Think about how hard you have worked since last Labor Day and take a moment to celebrate your accomplishments, TODAY!
Happy Labor Day Amercia.