Why do we celebrate Labor day
The first Monday in the month of September is celebrated as Labor Day and it became a national holiday for the whole of United States under the presidency of Grover Cleveland. Labor Day was celebrated for the first time at New York, in the year 1882, on the 5th of September by the Central Labor Union as a holiday dedicated to working men from the average section of the society and their contribution to society. Back when it started, Labor Day was celebrated to mark the movement for welfare and recognition of the working class. During that time, Labor Day was taken much more seriously than it is done today and was celebrated in a more dramatic way. The most common way by which we celebrate Labor Day now is by having a barbecue at our backyard while enjoying an extra holiday at the end of the weekend, but back then, Parades and public demonstrations used to fill the streets while people from the working class used to join the celebrations in large groups.
The labor union was the most powerful in the 1950s, as it was estimated that nearly forty percent of the labors in United States was now participating in union activities. The Labor Day holiday once stood as a sign of influence of the labor union and all that it had achieved for the labors, including eight-hour shifts, minimum wages and proper working conditions. However, the times have changed a lot since then and the percentage of union activists has come down to only fourteen percent recently. Majority of the people now celebrate Labor Day as the last holiday before the winter arrives.
The working conditions have become much different and more demanding than what it used to be a century ago, so we do not celebrate Labor Day the same way anymore, but the spirit of the holiday is yet held high as it is still considered to be a day to take a break from the tiring schedule of work. Thus, Labor Day provides a holiday for the hard working individuals to spend some time relaxing with their family and friends for a while.