United States Labor Day: September 2011

Labor Day is a United States federal holiday that takes place on the first Monday of September. In 2011, Labor Day will be September 5.

The origins of the American Labor Day can be traced back to the Knights of Labor in the United States and a parade organized by them on September 5, 1882 in New York City. They were inspired by an annual labor parade held in Toronto, Canada. In 1884 another parade was held, and the Knights passed resolutions to make this an annual event. Other labor organizations favored a May 1 holiday. With the event of Chicago's Haymarket riots in early May of 1886, president Grover Cleveland believed that a May 1 holiday could become an opportunity to commemorate the riots. Thus, fearing that it might strengthen the socialist movement, he quickly moved in 1887 to support the position of the Knights of Labor and their date for Labor Day in September, which was set for the first Monday in September every year. The September date has remained unchanged, even though the government was encouraged to adopt May 1 as Labor Day, the date celebrated by the majority of the world. Moving the holiday, in addition to breaking with tradition, could have been viewed as aligning the U.S. labor movements with internationalist sympathies.

Labor Day is generally regarded simply as a day of rest and, unlike May Day, political demonstrations are rare. Forms of celebration include picnics, barbecues, fireworks displays, water activities and public art events. Families with school-age children take it as the last chance to travel before the end of summer.

One of the largest modern traditions of Labor Day in the United States is the annual telethon of the Muscular Dystrophy Association, which was hosted by actor Jerry Lewis until 2010, to fund research and patient support programs for the various diseases grouped as muscular dystrophy. The telethon raises tens of millions of dollars each year. In 2005 for example, despite an earlier catastrophe caused by Hurricane Katrina, nearly $55 million were raised over 21 hours!

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