What is clear, though, is the designation of Labor Day as a federal holiday in 1894 arose from a tenuous labor dispute in Illinois. A decade later, a proposal was presented at a Central Labor Union meeting in New York in May 1882 for a “monster labor festival” in early September. The result was the first Labor Day parade, held near city hall and along Broadway in New York on Sept. 5, 1882. Some states began to observe Labor Day on their own, starting with Oregon in 1887. Over the decades, Labor Day evolved into a three-day weekend and a shopping and recreational holiday that marks the end of the summer season.

Source: Forbes September 04, 2022 10:10 UTC