Labor Day is Monday September 7 this year. Labor Day pays tribute to the contributions and achievements of American workers and is traditionally observed on the first Monday in September.
Labor Day is Monday September 7 this year. Labor Day pays tribute to the contributions and achievements of American workers and is traditionally observed on the first Monday in September.
Labor Day originated in the late 1800’s during a dark time for American laborers. It was the height of the Industrial Revolution and many Americans worked 12 hour days 7 days a week just to barely get by. Children as young as 5 worked in dire conditions for even less than the adults they worked alongside. Conditions were poor and unsanitary, access to fresh air was limited and breaks were almost nonexistent. It was during this time, labor unions became more organized and vocal. They organized strikes and rallies. One such strike happened on Sept 5, 1882. 10,000 workers took unpaid time off to march from City Hall to Union Square in New York City, holding the first Labor Day parade in U.S. history.
The idea of a “workingmen’s holiday,” celebrated on the first Monday in September, caught on in other industrial centers across the country, and many states passed legislation recognizing it. It took 12 more years and violence for it to become a federal holiday.
In May 1894, employees of the Pullman Palace Car Company in Chicago went on strike to protest wage cuts and firing of union representatives. In June, the American Railroad Union called for a boycott of all Pullman railway cars, crippling railroad traffic nationwide. To break the Pullman strike, the federal government dispatched troops to Chicago, unleashing a wave of riots resulting in the deaths of more than a dozen workers. In the wake of this massive unrest, and in an attempt to repair ties with American workers, Congress passed an act making Labor Day a legal holiday in the District of Columbia and the territories. On June 28, 1894, President Grover Cleveland signed it into law.
Today, Labor Day is celebrated with parades, barbeques and fireworks among other things. This holiday is often considered the end of summer. This week’s recipes are all easy and can be easily be adjusted for a large gathering. Make your grocery list and meet me in the kitchen for easy Labor Day recipes!
