Labor Day is celebrated to honor and recognize the contributions and achievements of American workers and the labor movement. It originated in the late 19th century when labor unions organized parades and demonstrations to advocate for better working conditions, such as shorter workdays and fair wages. The first Labor Day parade took place in New York City in 1882, and the holiday was officially made a federal holiday in 1894 by President Grover Cleveland as a conciliatory gesture to the labor movement after widespread strikes and unrest. Labor Day also marks the unofficial end of summer for many Americans and is observed on the first Monday of September each year.
The holiday was chosen to be in September rather than May to avoid association with the more politically charged International Workers' Day (May Day), which commemorates the Haymarket Affair of 1886—a violent clash between workers and police during demands for an eight-hour workday. Labor Day celebrates the strength, solidarity, and contributions of workers in a more neutral and less politically contentious way in the US.
Thus, Labor Day is both a celebration of workers' contributions to the nation's prosperity and a reminder of the labor movement's fight for fair labor standards and rights.
