The first Monday of every September is recognized as a national holiday, which many of us enjoy with a day off from work, school or both.
If you have ever wondered why this is the case, you have come across the right article. It can be inferred from the title that Labor Day is a celebration of labor, but facts, history and information behind the holiday that gives workers a break are seldom widely known.
Labor Day was created to be a celebration of achievements in the country that were made possible by American workers. Unofficially, this holiday was first celebrated on September 5, 1882 in New York City. The date was chosen since it fell in the middle of the Fourth of July and Thanksgiving. After the first celebration in New York, states such as Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Oregon began to select the date as a holiday, leading to the date's declaration as a national holiday on June 28, 1894.There is much debate regarding who coined the idea of Labor Day. The two men at the center of this debate are Peter J. McGuire and Matthew Maguire.
McGuire was the co-founder of the American Federation of Labor, while Maguire was the secretary of the Central Labor Union. Most sources, including the U.S. Department of Labor, credit Peter J. McGuire with Labor Day's creation. According to legend, McGuire is quoted to have said there should be a day or recognition for all workers "who rude from nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold".
Aside from this, Maguire has also been said to have discussed the holiday in the Central Labor Union while he served as its secretary in New York. Since there is no current confirmation for which man is the "father" of Labor Day, both men are thought of as responsible for its establishment.
So what is the big deal about wearing white after Labor Day? No one is sure about when or why this rule originated, but it is speculated to have became a trend in the late 1800s to early 1900s. When labor day became a holiday in 1894, upper class fashion embraced the date as the end of the summer fashion season. Since white was thought of as a "summer" color, it was not considered socially acceptable to wear after the season's fashion time period had ended.
Socialites such as Coco Chanel went against this rule, but women's magazines as late as the 1950's continued to suggest that white clothes should only be worn between the periods of Memorial Day and Labor Day. At the present day, this rule has been mostly disregarded since the fashion world is a much more laxe. Nonetheless, many of us still hear the phrase that wearing white after Labor Day is not accepted, even a century later.
All things considered, Labor Day is a day of rest and reward for all hardworking Americans that contribute to the well-being of the country; giving us a reason to appreciate our jobs and fellow employees a little bit more. Read more on the history of Labor Day here.
