Member-only story
Labor Day is to Observe the Achievement of the American Labor Movement
Because of COVID, Labor Day Events will be different this year (again)
In the United States, Memorial Day (the last Monday in May) and Labor Day (the first Monday in September) are considered to be the unofficial beginning and end of the summer season. Many Americans use those days, which are both Federal and state holidays, to gather with family and friends, have barbeques in their backyards or at nearby parks, and generally enjoy the three-day weekends.
However, the actual origins and meanings of both of those holidays are much more serious and somber and are often lost in the modern-day festivities. Due to the needed precautions due to the pandemic, most Labor Day parades, including huge parades down Woodward Avenue in Detroit, will be canceled or greatly reduced, and the annual walk across the Mackinac Bridge Linking the Upper Peninsula and Lower Peninsula in Michigan has also been canceled.
In 2018, I wrote a story that detailed the actual history and meaning of Labor Day. While you enjoy a hopefully safe Labor Day holiday, also please enjoy this story that reminds us of why we still celebrate Labor Day. Remember that the U.S. labor movement gave us so many tangible work-related and health-related benefits that we still…
