Labor Day

Labor Day is a United States federal holiday, honoring working people, their contributions, achievements and sacrifices in pursuit of national prosperity and well-being. It is held annually on the first Monday of September.

Labor Day is celebrated with street parades, sports events and picnics held all over the country. The Labor Day weekend is generally seen to mark the end of the summer season (while the Memorial Day weekend is considered to be the beginning). Summer cultural activities end, and fall activities, such as school and sports events, start around this time. In many areas school classes resume shortly before or after Labor Day.

Labor Day has evolved into a significant shopping weekend for discounts and sales, especially for back-to-school sales, as many retailers try to capitalize on the large number of prospective customers with time to spend. It has become one of the busiest sales days of the year.

While Canada shares the date of its Labour Day with Labor Day in the US, in many other countries Labour Day is typically held on May 1.

Why is US Labor Day celebrated in September when most other nations commemorate it on May 1?
The first Labor Day celebration in the US took place on September 5, 1882, in New York, with a street parade followed by a picnic. In the years that followed, the holiday was recognized as an official public holiday by a number of states, until Congress declared it a federal holiday in 1894.

The first Monday in September was chosen as the holiday's anniversary because it was regarded more politically neutral and less inflammatory than the date commemorating the bloody Haymarket riots on May 1 - 4, 1886. The date was also well located on the calendar, sitting midway between the Fourth of July and Thanksgiving Day public holidays.