The origins of the American Labor Day (Labour Day in Canada) can be traced back to the Knights of Labor in the United States, and a parade organized by them on September 5, 1882 in New York City. In 1884 another parade was held, and the Knights passed resolutions to make this an annual event. Other labor organizations (and there were many), but notably the affiliates of the International Workingmen's Association, many of whom were socialists or anarchists, favored a May 1 holiday.

With the event of Chicago's Haymarket riots in early May of 1886, president Grover Cleveland believed that a May 1 holiday could become an opportunity to commemorate the riots. Thus, fearing that it might strengthen the socialist movement, he quickly moved in 1887 to support the position of the Knights of Labor and their date for Labor Day.

Labor Day has been celebrated on the first Monday in September in the United States and Canada since the 1880s. The September date has remained unchanged, even though the two governments were encouraged to adopt May 1 as Labor/Labour Day, the date celebrated by the majority of the world. Moving the holiday, in addition to breaking with North American tradition, could have been viewed as aligning the U.S. and Canadian labor movements with internationalist sympathies.

In the United States and Canada, Labor/Labour Day is generally regarded simply as a day of rest, and political demonstrations are rare. Forms of celebration include picnics, fireworks displays, water activities, and public art events. Families with school-age children take it as the last chance to travel before the end of summer. A few teenagers and young adults view it as the last weekend for parties before returning to school.

An old custom prohibits the wearing of white after Labor/Labour Day. The explanations for this tradition range from the fact that white clothes are worse protection against cold weather in the winter to the fact that the rule was intended as a status symbol for new members of the middle class in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Read more ..





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