Celebrating Labor Day in America
Labor day marks a very significant day every year in America as it is not related to the victory of the man over another or to celebrate his glories or prowess but is dedicated to every man regardless of his cast or creed; sect or religion; identity; dead or alive. This day is dedicated to laborers all over the world and marks the social and economic achievements of American laborers. It is the day when homage is paid to the workers for their contribution in the development of the national economy.
Inception of Labor Day
It is believed that it was a carpenter named Peter McGuire from New York City who was behind the idea of Labor Day. The year 1872 witnessed a rally of 100,000 workers led by Peter McGuire who had come down to the streets of New York City to protest against the existing work conditions. They demanded a better work environment and it was after a decade since McGuire had been fighting for the rights of the workers, that he came up with the idea of granting a special holiday to the workers. Thus, the first Labor Day parade was observed on September 5, 1882.
Legal Holiday for Labor Day
Oregon became the first state to pass a bill to observe holiday on Labor Day on Feb 21, 1887. Other states also followed suit and enacted the bill as well by 1894 to felicitate the American workers. This was followed by the U.S Congress in 1894 when they declared that the first Monday of every September would be observed as Labor Day.
Celebrating Labor Day
As per the tradition, parades are organized in places such as Manhattan, Brooklyn and Detroit. In most of the places you can observe rallies and political demonstrations which put forth the problems surrounding the workers and hence demand solutions to improve the lives of the workers. Union leaders and political figures have an important role in such rallies as they deliver informative speeches to spread awareness about the problems that concern the American labourers.
However, if you want to do something different and make the day even more exciting for your family, then you can simply make most of the long three day weekend by attending parties, visiting beaches or barbeques around the New York City. We have covered some of the amazing events around the city:
1. US Open: This is one of the events which people look forward to. This sport’s grand slam event is held for two weeks every year in Queens and if you are a tennis fan, then you can easily include it in the list of events that you have to attend during the long weekend.
2. New York International Salsa Dance & Music Festival: If watching sport is not your thing, then why not attend the popular international dance and music festival? This amazing Latin American dance sets the temperatures soaring as hundreds of talented dancers gather together to compete for prizes.
3. NYC unicycle festival: This three-day one-wheeled race festival comes packed with races, games and exhibitions. The 13-mile ride from City Hall to Coney Island is a treat for all and even you can demonstrate your prowess if you are one of the patrons. In fact, you can even expect the unexpected here with the attempts to break Guinness world records.
4. West Indian-American Day Carnival: This Caribbean celebration has a lot to offer with its vibrant flavours. Whether it is costumed dancers or colourful flags, this is the place where you can party real hard. The place is lively with lots of music and fun & is the best way to bid farewell to the summer of 2014.
So you have lots of choices to celebrate the weekend. Whether you decide to host a barbeque party at home or be a part of the grand celebrations outside or keep it simple by listening to the motivational speeches during a parade, make sure you plan your weekend nicely. Since this is the end of summer, so you should plan it the best way you can to do away with the autumn blues.