14 Interesting & Fun Facts About Labor Day
Other than the fact that the national holiday of Labor Day falls on my birthday every six years, there are many interesting truths about the holiday.
This year, the holiday is on Monday, Sept 2, and rings in the close of summer. Families will spend one more day at the lake or beach, and teachers will use the long weekend to prepare themselves for the fall semester of school.
Aside from the fashion rule of not wearing white after Labor Day (seriously, who came up with that?), here are 14 fun and fascinating facts about the holiday and the movement around it that you might not have known about.
1. Signed Into Law in 1894
President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Uniform Holiday Bill into law in 1968, ensuring Labor Day would always fall on a Monday. This bill guaranteed workers a three-day weekend for rest and relaxation.
While Johnson set the Monday tradition, President Grover Cleveland first declared Labor Day a national holiday in 1894.
2. The Origins of “Labor”
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the word “labor” originates from the Latin word “labor,” which shows that the term has remained largely unchanged over the centuries.
The word “labor” was first used in the 14th century as “an expenditure of physical or mental effort, especially when challenging or compulsory. “Common phrases associated with labor include labor union, hard labor, division of labor, and labor-intensive.
3. The Outdated Fashion Rule
The outdated fashion statement of not wearing white after Labor Day dates back to what most suspect as America’s Gilded Age.
Emily Post noted that those who could afford to vacation during the hot summer months would leave their “city clothes” behind in favor of “light, whiter, summer outfits.” When autumn arrived, they would put away their leisure clothes and return to wearing “more formal city clothes.”
4. American Museum of Labor
The American Labor Museum, located in the Botto House National Landmark, was once the home of Italian immigrants and silk mill workers Pietro and Maria Botto. In 1913, it served as a meeting place for over 20,000 workers during the Paterson Silk Strike, which demanded safer working conditions, an end to child labor, and an eight-hour workday.
Today, the museum features restored period rooms, changing exhibits, Old World Gardens, and a free lending library.
5. Child Laborers
After the Civil War, it was common for children as young as 10, and often younger, to work in factories, mines, mills, and retail. This practice persisted throughout the Industrial Revolution until the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 established protections.
Today, the act sets the minimum employment age at 14 and limits the hours minors under 16 can work.
6. The Labor Day Hurricane of 1935
Labor Day falls during the peak of hurricane season, and some memorable storms have hit the country, such as Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and Hurricane David in 1979.
However, in 1935, one of the most destructive storms, the first recorded Category 5 storm, hit the Florida Keys. Never named, this particular hurricane had winds that reached up to 185 mph and an estimated storm surge of 18 feet, and nearly 500 lives were claimed.
7. Union Pay vs. Nonunion Pay
In February, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that full-time and salaried union members earn a higher median weekly income compared to their nonunion counterparts. On average, union workers receive a median income of $1,263 per week, while nonunion workers earn $1,090.
This $173 difference highlights the wage advantage that union membership can provide, reflecting the collective bargaining power of unions in negotiating better pay for their members.
8. The Gender Pay Gap
According to Pew Research, while the gender pay gap has narrowed, women still earn only 82% of what men make on average. In 2002, women earned about 80% of men’s wages, showing just a 2% increase in pay equity over two decades.
To highlight this disparity, the National Committee on Pay Equity observes Equal Pay Day, which marks how far into the year women must work to match what men earned the previous year. In 2024, Equal Pay Day was observed on Mar 12.
9. Labor Day Birthday Celebrations
Other than my birthday, which often falls on the holiday, multiple celebrities also have a national holiday for their birthday.
Actors Keanu Reeves (Sept 2, 1964), Charlie Sheen (Sept 3, 1965), Beyonce Knowles (Sept 4, 1981), and Michael Keaton (Sept 5, 1951) are just a few famous celebs who get a three-day weekend for the day of their birth.
10. The Contesting of the Labor Day Founder
The founder of U.S. Labor Day is still a highly contested issue, as no one can agree on who started the holiday exactly. Apparently, it was one of two men with very similar last names.
Some records credit Peter J. McGuire, co-founder of the American Federation of Labor, with getting the labor movement off the ground, while others believe Matthew Maguire, a secretary of the Central Labor Union, first sparked the concept.
11. Labor Day Is a Major Travel Weekend
Whether you’re taking one last trip to the beach or flying the friendly skies, Labor Day is a major travel weekend. And what is 2024’s hot spot destination? According to Travel + Leisure, it’s Costa Rica with its incredible beaches and lush rainforests–why not check it out?
The Vacationer estimates that nearly 82% of all Americans plan to travel this summer, and many of them plan to travel more than once.
12. The Top Jobs of 2024
Since Labor Day honors hard work, you might wonder which jobs are considered the best for U.S. employees. U.S. News and World Report ranked the top jobs of 2024 based on factors like pay, talent, opportunities for advancement, stress levels, work-life balance, and other criteria.
Nurse Practitioners, Financial Managers, and Software Developers ranked among the top three best jobs of the year.
13. Celebration of Labor Day Before the Creation of the Labor Dept
Before the Labor Department was established on Mar 4, 1913, President Cleveland established Labor Day in 1894. American workers began celebrating the holiday twelve years earlier, in 1882, a full 31 years before the government agency was established.
14. Labor Day Festivities
On Sept 5, 1882, union leaders led what is now considered the first Labor Day parade. Over 10,000 workers from various industries, including clothing makers and railroad workers, marched through New York City to raise awareness about unsafe working conditions.
These workers, who took unpaid leave to participate, marched nearly five miles from City Hall to 42nd Street before joining their families for activities like picnics and fireworks.
With a passion for travel, great food, and beautiful art, Julie put aside her 15-year career in the tech industry and dove head-first into a more creative sphere. Utilizing her degree in Communications, she is pursuing freelance writing. An avid traveler, Julie has experience writing and documenting the amazing spots she has visited and explored, the delicious food she has tasted, and the incredible art she has admired and purchased! When she’s not writing, she can be spotted around Austin, TX, at various art gallery openings, having a delicious meal with her husband and friends, and playing with her two dogs.
