Happy Labor Day!!

I want to personally wish each and everyone of you a “HAPPY LABOR DAY!!!” But this got me thinking, what exactly are we celebrating? So of course, thanks to wikipedia I am better informed. Here’s a little history lesson for you guys:

What is Labor Day?:

The holiday originated in Canada out of labor disputes (“Nine-Hour Movement”) first in Hamilton, then in Toronto, Canada in the 1870s, which resulted in a Trade Union Act which legalized and protected union activity in 1872 in Canada. The parades held in support of the Nine-Hour Movement and the printers’ strike led to an annual celebration in Canada. In 1882, American labor leader Peter J. McGuire witnessed one of these labor festivals in Toronto. Inspired from Canadian events in Toronto, he returned to New York and organized the first American “labor day” on September 5 of the same year.^{[citation needed]}

The first Labor Day in the United States was celebrated on September 5, 1882 in New York City.^[1] In the aftermath of the deaths of a number of workers at the hands of the US militaryUS Marshals during the 1894 Pullman Strike, President Grover Cleveland put reconciliation with Labor as a top political priority. Fearing further conflict, legislation making Labor Day a national holiday was rushed through Congress unanimously and signed into law a mere six days after the end of the strike.^[2] Cleveland was also concerned that aligning a US labor holiday with existing international May Day celebrations would stir up negative emotions linked to the Haymarket Affair.^[3] All 50 U.S. states have made Labor Day a state holiday.

– wikipedia.com

Enjoy your bbq’s, days off, beaches, parties etc. And for NYC’s West Indian community, enjoy the festivities, music, dances and of course, how can I forget, The West Indian Day Parade!