As we head into September, we celebrate Labor Day on Monday, September 2nd. Labor Day is often called the unofficial end to the summer season, marking the start of the fall festivities. While many will enjoy the three-day weekend with a beach trip or a barbecue, Labor Day is much more than a farewell to summer. Labor Day is celebrated annually on the first Monday in September to honor the economic and social achievements of American workers. 

Continue reading below for some interesting facts about Labor Day:

• During the height of the Industrial Revolution, in the late 1800s, average Americans worked seven days a week for 12 hours a day to make a basic living. Even young children worked, earning a fraction of what adults were making. Working conditions were often unsafe and unsanitary.

• Labor unions grew more vocal and prominent, organizing rallies and strikes to protest the poor working conditions.

• A "workingmen's holiday" celebrated in September caught on in many states, and several states passed laws recognizing the holiday. 

• Labor activists fought for a federal holiday to acknowledge how American workers have contributed to our nation's prosperity, strength, and well-being. 

• Several years later, President Grover Cleveland signed legislation on June 28, 1894, making Labor Day a national holiday. 

• The first proposal for a holiday suggested that Labor Day be celebrated with “a street parade to exhibit ‘the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations’ of the community, followed by a festival for the recreation and amusement of the workers and their families.”* This is still the pattern for many Labor Day celebrations across the country. 

• According to the Department of Labor, it's appropriate that our country "pays tribute on Labor Day to the creator of so much of the nation's strength, freedom, and leadership – the American worker."

For more information on Labor Day, check out these websites:

* U.S. Department of Labor, History of Labor Day, https://www.dol.gov/general/laborday/history

 ** History.com, Labor Day,  https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/labor-day-1