We observe Labor Day the first Monday of September each year. Do we really know the orgin of the holiday? It is more than just a long weekend or the unofficial end to summer. In this area, many people view Labor Day Weekend as the end of tourist traffic. A time for locals to enjoy less traffic and congestion. Labor Day actually dates back to 1882. It was created to honor the labor unions, the labor movement and American workers with parades and picnics.
According to the Department of Labor, 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. 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, Sen. 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.
Currently, the emphasis is not as focused on the labor movement or unions. There are not as many parades or picnics. This Labor Day, while many offices are closed and kids are getting ready to head back to school, remember all that the American Worker has accomplished. Be especially kind to the workers who do not have the day off and be nice to the tourists as they head home.
Source: http://www.dol.gov/laborday/history-elevator.htm