Here’s what I found out about Labor Day:

You gotta love Wikipedia! Next to The Internet Movie Database (IMDb), it’s my favorite resource “book.”

•The first Labor Day celebration was in New York City in 1882.
•The holiday concept originated in Canada (thank you to our neighbors to the north).
•Its inception as a U.S. national holiday flowed out of the tragic Pullman Strike in 1894.
•Proposed celebrations included a street parade to “exhibit to the public ‘the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations’ followed by a festival for the workers and their families.”
•The law making Labor Day a national holiday was proposed and signed six days after the end of the Pullman strike. (That kind of lawmaking speed these days would make a legislator’s head spin.)
Somewhere along the way, I think Labor Day has lost its significance to us as a nation. Don’t get me wrong; I love a three-day weekend just as much as the next guy, but Labor Day was not just intended as a day of rest. It was a day to celebrate the worker and his/her labors - to confirm that the workforce of this great nation is what keeps America moving and growing, economically and in harmony within its citizenry.

This Labor Day, after you’ve had that last piece of watermelon, take a few minutes to reflect on the labor of those - past and present - who made/make it possible for you to lie down your head for a peaceful night’s sleep in preparation for your labor come Tuesday. Here’s to a great Labor Day celebration!

TALK BACK: How do you plan to celebrate Labor Day? Post your comments below.