YAY! School is finally out… but only for a day. Each year, students look forward to the first break of the school year, which is Labor Day. Labor Day gives schools and employees a three-day weekend, a chance to sleep in on a Monday, and a time to celebrate and enjoy the holiday, spending time with family and friends. As everyone is excited for the break, many do not know the true meaning and origin of how Labor Day began.
Throughout the 1880s, strikes and protests became more and more popular within working communities everywhere (History.com). The Pullman Company in Illinois, run by George Pullman, laid off hundreds of employees and cut wages for most of the ones remaining during the economic recession at the time. Workers could not take these conditions anymore and decided to walk out. Later that year, the American Railroad Union declared a boycott of all trains using Pullman cars, and it succeeded. As the strike continued, Congress passed the legislation in 1894 to assign the first Monday of each month a legal Holiday to recognize and celebrate labor (History.com).
In present day, most people choose to celebrate in many different ways. One of the most common ways to spend Labor Day weekend, undoubtedly, is to visit the lake with friends and family. The lake is a place to relax on the boat, have cookouts, and play yard games like cornhole or volleyball, while not having to worry about the stresses of work or school. College football is also back in season, just in time to go tailgating on Labor Day weekend. Many fans travel to the closest home game or school they support and enjoy the loud environment of music, school colors, food, and fans.
Labor Day also marks the unofficial end of summer, which means it is the start of fall. An activity that keeps you at home and relaxed, depending on how serious you are, is decorating for the start of the fall season. Some people get really into the decorations and setting up elaborate horror scenes for Halloween, but for the most part, decorating will be calming and fun. Seniors, Julian Davidson and Owen Cotner-Graves were asked what their Labor Day weekend plans are. Owen said, “My plan for Labor Day weekend is to work and make some CASH!!” Although this goes against the initial concept of the holiday and why we celebrate it, it is his choice, so that is all that matters. Julian’s plans include heading to Attica, Indiana, to the Badlands, and riding his four-wheeler with his brother. Davidson said that this has been a tradition they have been doing for a few years now.
All in all, Labor Day Weekend is a chance for everyone to enjoy the day off and be free from work. Learning the true reason behind this holiday is fascinating and offers the opportunity to be grateful for what the generations before us have accomplished. Hopefully, this Labor Day Weekend, you find a way to enjoy yourself and the time with the people around you.
