Monday, September 6, 2010

What's Labor Day, Anyway?

I always knew people took Labor Day off from work, but I never really knew where the holiday originated from or what we were supposed to be celebrating. I figured it might be a day to celebrate workers and maybe also a day to rest. So I decided to find out.

As usual, Wikipedia had a useful, succinct explanation for Labor Day. It's been around since 1882, was established by Grover Cleveland to celebrate the spirit and strength of the working people. We used to have parades and speeches. Today, it's pretty much just the symbolic end of summer and a sign for "back to school." time. Labor Day means the fun's over and it's time to get back to work....er...labor. 

As for Labor Day weekend, well, it's a time for barbecues, last-minute family trips, and department store sales. Kind of seems sad that we don't honor and value the men and women who work so hard every single day...but then, maybe that's why so many jobs are getting farmed out to Third World countries. Happy Labor Day, folks!

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