Los 40 USA
NewslettersSign in to commentAPP
spainSPAINchileCHILEcolombiaCOLOMBIAusaUSAmexicoMEXICOlatin usaLATIN USAamericaAMERICA

CELEBRATIONS

When is Labor Day 2023 in the US? Is it a national holiday?

The annual celebration of workers’ contributions to society and the labor movement’s achievements brings with it the final long weekend of summer.

Update:
Why Labor Day in the United States isn’t held in May

Labor Day 2023 will take place on Monday, 4 September, marking the unofficial end of summer and heralding the start of fall. The annual holiday is more than 125 years old and was first introduced to celebrate the contributions made by workers throughout the year and the American labor movement.

Although it brings with it the ending of the summer season, Labor Day does have the benefit of a three-day weekend for most workers and countless sales at big-name retailers.

But be warned, government buildings and offices are typically closed for federal holidays, meaning that you may not be able to use post offices, banks and courts on Monday, 4 September.

What is the history of Labor Day?

Labor Day has been an annual federal holiday in the United States since 1894. It was created in honor of the American labor movement and the enormous contribution which millions of workers have made in helping the United States to develop and prosper.

Labor Day is traditionally celebrated on the first Monday in September in the United States, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Canal Zone, and the Virgin Islands and is the culmination of Labor Day Weekend.

Being an official national holiday in the US and also Canada, for most Americans Labor Day means having the day off from work. It is often symbolically considered the end of summer and start of fall when children return to school. There is always plenty to do on Labor Day and the weekend days preceding it.

An opportunity to spend quality time with family and friends, the day is usually celebrated with picnics, barbecues, street parades, fireworks displays, concerts and other events and activities. While workers are given time off on Labor Day, they are also paid as normal by their employers.

Is Labor Day different from May Day holiday in other parts of the world?

Conservative Democratic President Grover Cleveland was one of those concerned that a labor holiday on May 1 would tend to become a commemoration of the Haymarket riot and would strengthen socialist and anarchist movements that backed the May 1 commemoration around the globe.

American Labor Day actually predates the European workers’ festival of May Day, known as International Workers’ Day. Many countries in Europe and other parts of the world celebrate May Day with their own holiday, but the US government countered International Workers’ Day by creating ‘Loyalty Day,’ which was first ratified by Congress in the 1950s during the Red scare.