Labor Day is an American holiday, celebrated on the first Monday in September. This holiday is to recognize the American Labor Movement, which recognizes the works by laborers in the USA. Labor Day can also symbolize the end of summer for many Americans. In some states, school starts back the day after Labor Day. Many celebrate with their last summer activity, parties, street parades, and picnics.
Labor Day began in the late 19th century, when the trade union asked that a day be set aside to celebrate labor. Laborers often worked 10-12 hours days, 7 days a week. This celebrated day would give them a break, so they could celebrate time with their families and friends.
Peter J. McGuire is the Vice President and cofounder of the American Federation of Labor. He is frequently credited as the father of Labor Day in the United States, as he put forward the initial proposal in the spring of 1882. According to McGuire, he recommended the first Monday in September in observance, as this would give the ideal weather forecast and the date would sit midway between the Forth of July and Thanksgiving public holidays. Later that year, 10,000 workers took unpaid time off to march down the streets of New York City. On June 28, 1894, President Grover Cleveland signed it into law.
