People are enjoying the long weekend here in the U.S. this week. Monday (September 4th, 2023) is “LABOR DAY” that celebrates all workers here in America. Work is a blessed endeavor. Whether it is baking a casserole or doing laundry; serving customers or compiling a report; teaching a class or making a hospital bed: Our daily labors earn our daily bread and more.
It was envisioned by the founders to honor the American
worker; the driving engine behind the most productive economy in the world, and
the American work ethic that resulted in one of the highest standards of living
in the world. All of this came out of a belief in economic and political
democracy.
Labor day not only celebrated the American workers but
also protected their quality of life. Back in the 1800s, the Labor movement was
created to address some of the serious problems of the day including long
working hours and lack of time off.
Do you know who invented Labor Day? Labor Day was the idea of Peter J. Maguire, a labor union leader who, in 1882, proposed a celebration honoring the American worker. Peter Maguire was the general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners.
In the U.S., the first Labor Day parade was on Tuesday,
September 5, 1882 in 1. ( ) City. By
1894, 23 more states had adopted the holiday, and on June 28, 1894, President Grover
2. ( ) signed
a law making the first Monday in September a legal national holiday every year.
Even though the American workforce has changed dramatically
since the industrial revolution, many Americans still work more hours and take
less vacation their western counterparts. Take this day of honor to reflect on
all your hard work and, if you can make it happen, take a break to relax and
enjoy the last hurrah of summer because you deserve this national day of leisure.
Now let’s get to that common question. Why is there an
old-time rule about not wearing 3. (which color?: ) after Labor Day? And
does it still apply?
One theory about wearing the color 4. ( ); the color 5.( ) reflects the sun
instead of absorbing it. Another theory is that the end of summer meant a
return to the city and work life, as many people used to take the month of
August to visit seashore. Returning to city life (often dirty) meant that dark
clothes returned and the aforementioned color was not practical. Today, there
really aren’t such rules about the color 6. ( ). We have air
conditioning, lighter fabrics, and clothing has generally become more casual
and comfortable.
Answer Keys
1. New York City
2. Cleveland
3. White
4. White
5. White
6. White
*Source from the Old Farmer’s Almanac
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