Labor Day

Today is Labor Day, and is a regular school day for us. Later this afternoon we are heading to a picnic / pool party. The idea - have a school day AND a holiday all in the same day. And the children do not mind a bit either - it saves a good vacation day for later use.

This morning our younger children asked "what is Labor Day" .... which of course many people have wondered themselves but do not know either. WHAT IS LABOR DAY ABOUT ?? (The information below is from Writers Almanac email service)

Today is Labor Day, first celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882. The holiday was the idea of the Central Labor Union in New York City, which organized a parade and a picnic featuring speeches by union leaders. It was intended to celebrate labor unions, call for the eight-hour workday, and to recognize the achievements of the American worker.

Many of the labor laws those early activists wanted were passed in the 1930s, including the eight-hour workday and the 40-hour workweek. Most sociologists predicted that in the coming decades Americans would work steadily fewer and fewer hours. But in fact, the opposite has happened. Today, more than 25 million Americans work more than 49 hours each week. And 11 million spend 60 hours or more at work each week. Americans also take fewer vacation days than employees in any other industrialized nation, making Americans the hardest-working (or most overworked) industrialized nation on the planet.

Enjoy !!