Why
is it Called Labor Day ? Some Interesting Facts
about the Holiday
Labor Day Questions and
Answers
How many of us think that
Labor Day is a day to spend grilling burgers and
hot dogs, taking that last summer dip in the pool
with the kids or watching sports on TV?
I think it is great that we
can spend a day with our family, but I would like
to know a little more about this holiday and why we
celebrate it. How about you?
Why Is It Called Labor
Day?
Labor Day was established as
a day set aside to honor the men and women who
worked twelve hours a day, seven days a week in
order to keep our country running in the late
1800s.
A Brief History of Labor
Day
On September 5, 1882, the
first observance of Labor Day, which was a parade
of 10,000 workers was held in New York City.
In 1894, a bill to establish
a federal holiday was passed by Congress and soon
afterward, the bill was signed by President Grover
Cleveland designating the first Monday in September
as Labor Day.
The first states to declare
Labor Day a state holiday were New York, Oregon,
New Jersey, Colorado and Massachusetts.
Who Do You Think is the
Actual Founder of Labor Day?
Even though it has been over
100 years since the first Labor Day observance,
many are a little skeptical of whom the real
founder was.
Could it have been Peter J.
McGuire, cofounder of the American Federation of
Labor, who was the first to suggest a day to honor
all the men and women workers or could it have been
Matthew Maguire, secretary of the Central Labor
Union, whom recent research has stated he proposed
the holiday.
You Decide!!!!
A Little Telethon
Trivia
I know most of you are going
to say sports and parades, but on the contrary,
there is much more for the eye to see during this
long weekend.
A must-see end of summer
tradition is the Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy
Telethon, which began in New York City in 1954. It
begins on Sunday evening before Labor Day and
continues until Monday afternoon.
Did you know that 7 Up was
the telethon's first and longest corporate
sponsor?
Did you know that for the
first five years, game show announcer, Johnny Olson
was the telethon's announcer? In 1970, Ed McMahon
took over the role until his death in
2009.
Labor Day Food
Facts
Did you know Labor Day is the
third most popular day for grilling? July 4th and
Memorial Day are the top two.
Did you know more beef is
consumed on Memorial Day with July 4th and Labor
Day both coming in second?
Did you know Labor Day is the
official end to hot dog season?
Did you know that Slow Food
USA declared Labor Day 2009 to be a National Day of
Action in order to get healthier food in
schools?
Can I Wear White After
Labor Day?
During the 1950s and 1960s, a
rule about not wearing white after Labor Day was
heavily enforced.
The original rule applied
only to white dress shoes, but later, was extended
to white clothing. The theory behind this was that
it reminded people that summer weight clothing was
unsuitable for winter.
Luckily today, we can choose
to wear whatever color we want no matter the
season.
Labor Day in Other
Countries
Did you know a majority of
countries celebrate Labor Day, also called
International Workers' Day on May 1st?
In 1990, Poland renamed
Labour Day to State Holiday.
In The Bahamas, Labor Day is
celebrated on the first Friday in June and is
considered a public holiday.
Ireland's May Day, which is
also a public holiday, is held on the first Monday
in May.
New Zealand holds their
Labour Day on the fourth Monday in October.
Unusual Labor Day
Events
Anyone who would like to see
a couple of unusual events taking place on Labor
Day will need to take a trip to Nome, Alaska.
Here you can enjoy the annual
Great Bathtub Race in which four contestants push
bathtubs with wheels and filled with water carrying
a fifth team member.
The annual Snake River Duck
Race is another spectacular event you will not want
to miss. Here you will see thousands of plastic
ducks arriving on the river after moving through
miles of twists and turns.
Exactly What Did George
Pullman Have to Do With Labor Day?
George Pullman, an American
inventor and industrialist, developed the railroad
sleeping car in 1864. After he built a plant
several miles from Chicago and hired every person
from area, he built a town where he rented homes to
all of his employees.
In 1894, Pullman had to start
cutting jobs, wages and hours when his business
began to fall. He refused to lower rent and utility
bills for his workers, thus causing workers to go
on strike. President Cleveland took the chance at
this time to get conciliation and sent in troops to
stop the riots. Due to these event at Pullman's
Sleeping Car Industry, Labor Day was born, but
Cleveland was not reelected.
Top Places to Visit on
Labor Day
Now, you'll probably love to
hear some suggestions on where you can spend your
Labor Day Weekend if you haven't planned to stay at
home for a relaxing time with your family.
Here are a few ideas whether
you and your spouse are going alone or taking your
entire family.
*Sea World Orlando,
Florida
Great place if you have young
kids. They're open till 10 every night through
Labor Day, so your family can take advantage of all
your favorite rides and show.
* Washington
DC
Why not spend your long
weekend here enjoying the parades, festivals,
concerts and many other special Labor Day events.
* Busch Gardens
Virginia
Go back home after spending
Labor Day weekend here and tell all your friends
you took a thrill ride on the suspended roller
coaster. They probably won't believe
you!!
* Shenandoah National
Park Virginia
Spend a quiet day hiking with
your family in the peaceful Shenandoah
Park
* Manhattan New York
Enjoy the Labor Day Parade on
5th Avenue after you've had a delicious lunch at
one of the delightful sidewalk cafes.
Hope you enjoyed these
tidbits about Labor Day and found out some things
you didn't know. Have a safe and fun-filled Labor
Day!!!
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