Ah, Labor Day: a paid day off from the general malaise that is a work week. But, what is Labor Day, and why do we get to shirk our responsibilities on this day?
Labor Day is the first Monday in September. It is set aside to celebrate the social and economic achievements of the working class. It allows us all to step back for a moment, usually with a hamburger or hotdogs and a libation, and take pride in all that we have accomplished.
President Grover Cleveland set the holiday in September nationally in 1894 (Oregon started celebrating in 1887). There was of course a bit of drama surrounding the originally proposed May 1st. A couple events known as the "Pullman Strike" & the "Haymarket Affair / Massacre", further pushed the issue to both ratify and relocate the celebrated day. The American Federation of Labor had proposed to have it celebrated in May, along side all the other international Labour Festivals which were essentially copied. The CLU (Central Labor Union) proposed to celebrate in September, and Cleveland went with that to avoid the "Communist, Syndicalist and Anarchist" movements associated with "International Workers Day".
Tradition dictates that there be a parade and a festival. Personally I was always fond of attending regattas with my father.
In many parts of the United States, Labor Day also marks the end of summer break and the return to school, to the chagrin of students and the joy of parents everywhere. Oh, and if you feel like being part of the well-to-do set, remember to put your "summer whites" away for the season.