Labor Day

BY: CASEY MCCARTHY '19

PTS Falconer Staff

How many people know what we’re actually celebrating on Labor Day? The fuzzy definition of the Labor Day holiday has left many unclear as to what we all have a long weekend for each year. But the general consensus is that “any day off is a good day, we’ll celebrate whatever you want us too.” I’ve asked around to a couple different people and each individual offered an educated guess, “something to do with labor or work.” But how did this holiday come to be and how did we all seem to forget what we celebrate every year?

Labor Day began in September of 1882, when the unions in New York City decided to host a parade to celebrate the unions. Which in effect caused about 20,000 working people to give up a day’s pay to participate in the parade. Unions were established to help workers negotiate things such as their wages, and hours to better their jobs. After 1882 this became a regular celebration every year and therefore became a holiday in 1887.

Since the definition of the Labor Day holiday has blurred over the years the general population has practically turned it into an end of summer holiday. In which grills are taken out of storage and poolside rafts float with the sunshine beating down on them. Smiles and relaxed attitudes are a definite while family and friends gather on a much need and much welcomed day off. What better way to celebrate labor than to have a day off from work?

On this Labor Day, rather than relaxing and lounging, labor couldn’t be any more intense as it is in Houston, Texas. While families struggle to restore their homes, sort through the disaster of what is left from category four hurricane Harvey, and help neighbors do the same. At the same time category five hurricane Irma is making its way from the Lesser Antilles, to Puerto Rico, to the Bahamas and most likely to Florida, creating anxiety from all those in its anticipated path.