The Origin of Labor Day

The+Origin+of+Labor+Day

Haeley Gibbs

We should all know what Labor Day is, but what is it specifically? All you may know is that we get out of school, and most people only care about that. Let’s be honest, nobody really likes school, so why should you find an interest in why we’re out?

The holiday was made sometime in the nineteenth century, almost 300 years ago! It was originally made by Peter J. McGuire, a union leader who founded the United Brotherhood of Carpenters. He thought they should honor the American workers for all their hard work, so on September 5, a little bit over 10,000 workers held a parade.

1884 was the year they decided to make the first Monday in September the day for Labor Day. Many states thought about it, and now most states in the US host this holiday. It was so popular, the Pullman Strike in Illinois advised the current president to make it a national holiday.

That year, sometime in June, the bill was fortunately passed, and Labor Day became an official holiday. People celebrate it differently, such as political rallies, speeches, family-get-togethers, and much more. How do you celebrate Labor Day?

 

(For more information, go to https://www.britannica.com/topic/Labor-Day