Labor Day is observed in the United States on the first Monday of September. It is a public holiday which honours the American labour movement and the contribution of workers towards the growth, development and security of the country. Labor Day 2019 will be celebrated on September 2. Canada, Puerto Rico, the Canal Zone, and the Virgin Islands also celebrates Labor Day on the same day. 2019 will mark the 125th anniversary of Labor Day in the US.  The federal holiday celebrates workers and labour unions and their work in the country's well-being. In both the United States and Canada, it is celebrated as a national holiday since 1894. Government offices, private businesses and other organisations remain shut on this day.

According to the US Department of Labor, the holiday is "a creation of the labour movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers." Labor Day is a "yearly national tribute" to the "contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity and wellbeing of our country."

Labor Day History And Celebrations

Labor Day was first celebrated on September 5, 1882, with a parade organised by trade unions.  Oregon was the first state to institute Labor Day as a holiday, following which the legislation was passed and it came into effect in 1887. In 1894, the US Congress voted unanimously to approve Labor Day as a national holiday following which President Grover Cleveland signed it into law.

Labor Day came into being in America following decades of clashes between workers, unions, security forces and employers. In modern-day America, Labor Day is celebrated with parades, parties and picnics. People prefer to spend the day with their families and friends and avoid traffic. Nowadays, retailers and online websites use the day to attract customers by offering special deals. Discounts and offers are quite popular on this day.

Talking about the observance Samuel Gompers, founder and longtime president of the American Federation of Labor once said, "Labor Day differs in every essential way from the other holidays of the year in any country. All other holidays are in a more or less degree connected with conflicts and battles of man's prowess over man, of strife and discord for greed and power, of glories achieved by one nation over another. Labor Day is devoted to no man, living or dead, to no sect, race, or nation."

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 30, 2019 04:00 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).