Do you have plans on Monday? I do! I plan to do absolutely nothing. Well, nothing related to work anyway. I will still have to rise early, compliments of my one-year old, and will likely spend the day chasing both children until my husband and I are ready to drop. But, it’s a Monday, and we will be doing it together as a family, compliments of a long celebrated US holiday: Labor Day!
For many of us, Labor Day has just become a day off from work or a day the bank is not open, but its roots are much deeper. Labor Day is set aside to celebrate American Workers and to honor them for their contributions to the prosperity, freedom, and strength of our country. They are the unsung heroes in our country’s history, and Labor Day is for them. Today, more than ever, I think about those who have come before us. Those who helped build this country and create this economy. We’ve hit some rocky times, but I believe that it is the strength of the American Workers that is going to get us through this, just as they have in the past.
Labor Day was first celebrated on September 5, 1882 (a Tuesday!) in New York City in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The idea spread quickly with the growth of labor unions. In 1884, the first Monday of the month was selected as the holiday and it has remained that way for the past 125 years. Legally, it was first recognized by municipal ordinances, then states--with Oregon being the first in 1887, and lastly, the US Congress who made Labor Day a legal holiday in the District of Columbia and the territories in 1894.
These days, people celebrate Labor Day in all different fashions. The parades and speeches of the past are fewer, but I don’t think that matters. It’s the spirit of the day that’s important. So, if you’re at a barbeque, or football game, or like me, you plan to do nothing--stop and take a minute to nod a thank you to those who worked before us, and who work beside us today--it’s their holiday!
Since the beginning of commercial aviation, the airline industry has been a major cog in this country’s economic engine. As on other holidays, many of my Coworkers at Southwest will be working on Monday, in the air and on the ground to ensure that thousands of the three-day weekend travelers have safe travels. Countless other Americans will be working as well. They are the heroes that Labor Day seeks to recognize, and I salute them!
