Rest today and work tomorrow,

What is Labor Day?

In the United States, today is an official state and federal holiday. This is the day our country commemorates the contributions of workers to the growth and success of modern society. When initiated in 1882 and moved to the first Monday in September in 1884, worker unions were an emerging and forming force in the American dynamic of life and labor. They are less so in this age. As a result, the holiday itself has changed in its recognition, appreciation and observance.

Originally, there were downtown parades and public picnics. In the paper this morning, I saw no mention of a parade or a picnic. There was a small side-bar stating the following: “Today is Labor Day. On this day, our nation salutes the millions of men and women who make up America’s workforce.”

The malls are open, and this is one of the busiest shopping days of the year. Most retail workers will labor longer hours today. This is also the unofficial end of summer. In the blog post of April 28, 2012, I noted that the U.S. holidays of Memorial and Labor Day bracket and define our summertime period. Traditionally, schools started the day after Labor Day. Our schools started last Monday, so this transitional marker has largely disappeared. College football play started this weekend. My alma mater played yesterday and won by 1 point. (Whew, that was a close one.) I love the start of the Fall football statistics. And, this used to be the last day to wear white and seersucker. Anymore, folks pretty much wear white all year round, and many of us don’t wear seersucker at all. (Seersucker is a crinkly blue and white striped cotton material for suits, pants and shorts that breathes well for hot weather and looks like you are near the water so you seem to feel cooler.)

Much still happens near and around Labor Day. Certainly, the long holiday weekend is a well-spaced and welcome time of rest and relaxation between the Fourth of July (our National Holiday) and Thanksgiving (Our National Turkey Day). It is a nice marker between the lingering hot of summer and the approaching cool of autumn. But, the day really doesn’t have much to do with labor or remembering the worker – anymore.

My sons were born on Memorial and Labor Day. Today is the youngest’s birthday. They are both hard workers. I am very proud of each of them, and I am so very grateful for their young families and my grandchildren.

As the times have changed, our work has changed greatly. This is a natural and exciting process. Change is vital to a healthy and working world. What shouldn’t change is remembering the worker. We are all workers — laborers, inventors, innovators, owners — we are all workers. We need the encouragement and support of each other. Working, working together and appreciating the work of each other are what make us different, make us homo sapiens, and make this planet our home. We are the keys to the success and preservation of our working environment and our way of life.

I think I’ll give my sons a call and thank them for the work they are doing to make this a better place for us to live.

Enjoy your work and encourage those who work with you,

Grandpa Jim