Many Americans have no idea why we celebrate Labor Day or how it originated. I thought it would be interesting to share what I learned while researching the holiday.
A big thank-you to all the folks who are “laboring” today, including my husband, Richard.
Enjoy the Day!
Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September (September 7 in 2009).
The holiday originated in Canada out of labor disputes (“Nine-Hour Movement”) first in Hamilton, then in Toronto, Canada in the 1870s, which resulted in a Trade Union Act which legalized and protected union activity in 1872 in Canada. The parades held in support of the Nine-Hour Movement and the printers’ strike led to an annual celebration in Canada. In 1882, American labor leader Peter J. McGuire witnessed one of these labor festivals in Toronto. Inspired from Canadian events in Toronto, he returned to New York and organized the first American “labor day” on September 5 of the same year. (More from WikiPedia)
From WikiPedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labor_Day
From US Dept of Labor: http://www.dol.gov/OPA/ABOUTDOL/LABORDAY.HTM
