When is Labor Day 2024 in the US? Is it a national holiday?
Labor Day is here. A look back at the orgins of the public holiday and how it differs from May Day.
Labor Day 2024 will fall on Monday, 2 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 end of the summer season, Labor Day offers most workers a three-day weekend and countless sales at big-name retailers. But be warned: Government buildings and offices are typically closed for federal holidays, meaning that on Monday, 2 September, you may not be able to use post offices, banks, or courts.
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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 millions of workers have made to helping the United States develop and prosper. The holiday 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.
For most Americans, it means having the day off from work. It is often symbolically considered the end of summer and the start of fall when children return to school. There is always plenty to do on Labor Day and the weekend days preceding it. Many use the holiday to spend quality time with family and friends. It 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. Though International Day of the Worker celebrates events in the US, Cold War politics erased the role of workers in Chicago from the holiday, with the government establishing ‘Loyalty Day,’ in 1950 during the Red Scare.