Labor Day is Your Day

Growing up, Labor Day was always some Monday -- either at the beginning or end of summer -- that wasn't Memorial Day, which was also on a Monday at the beginning or end of summer, as long as it wasn't the same Monday that was Labor Day; i.e., I hadn't a clue which was which.

And honestly, if you'd asked me, I couldn't have told you what Labor Day was about. All I knew was that no one worked, things were closed, and the incidence of parades and barbecues was somewhat escalated.

So this year, on the first September Monday, I woke up and decided to look into exactly what Labor Day is, and to struggle to feel its significance. And I must say, I've succeeded.

The US Department of Labor (when's the last time you heard that phrase?) claims, "Labor Day is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country." Now that's kinda cool. If you think about it, most holidays are rife with division. Religious holidays are dedicated to a particular, non-universal belief. Memorial Day has its "anti-war" issues. Thanksgiving has its patina of European Imperialism. Halloween and Valentine's Day are largely issue-free, but what they celebrate exactly is a little vague.

But Labor Day is different. If there ever was a universal holiday, it's this one. Everyone works, and if you don't, you don't deserve a break today. Started in 1882, it was put in place to honor how "the vital force of labor added materially to the highest standard of living and the greatest production the world has ever known and has brought us closer to the realization of our traditional ideals of economic and political democracy" (DOL). And it's part of a century-old movement to improve the wages and conditions of anyone who does something for someone else. I can celebrate that.

Chances are you work, so this day is for you. Rest, party, and don't show up. You earned it.

Photo via Wikipedia Commons.