Labor Day

noun

1. (in the U.S.) a legal holiday, commonly the first Monday in September, in honor of labor.

Labor Day

noun

1. (in the US and Canada) a public holiday in honour of labour, held on the first Monday in September
2. (in Australia) a public holiday observed on different days in different states

Labor Day

1. A national holiday in the United States and Canada in honor of working people. Labor Day is observed on the first Monday in September.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Labor Day¹

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

“I am cautiously optimistic that the filibuster will be gone by Labor Day,” he added.

From FiveThirtyEight

Then Easter became Memorial Day, which became Labor Day, which became “next year,” which became .

From Washington Post

The day before, when his family started their Labor Day backpacking trip along the oak-lined dry creek bed in Romero Canyon, in the mountains east of Santa Barbara, the temperature had been 105 degrees.

From ProPublica

She felt illThe day after Labor Day, Heidi had returned to the classroom.

From Washington Post

We’ve gathered with friends and family over Labor Day, Halloween, and Thanksgiving, even as public health officials and experts have pleaded that we don’t.

From Vox

On Labor Day weekend, the teenager accompanied Shattuck, her three children, and several of their friends to Bethany beach.

From The Daily Beast

Last year, Labor Day 2013, that vision at long last materialized before my exhausted eyes.

From The Daily Beast

But last Labor Day, there were no such prepared recitations.

From The Daily Beast

The publisher will release images of the new supplements online soon, likely over the long Labor Day weekend.

From The Daily Beast

The classic comedy Ghostbusters is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a theatrical re-release over Labor Day weekend.

From The Daily Beast

Alan took him down to the school on the day after Labor Day, to sign him up for kindergarten.

From Project Gutenberg

Its not to be because I swore solemnly that these girls would be home before Labor Day if they were permitted to take this trip.

From Project Gutenberg

He tooken sick two or three weeks later jus' before Labor Day, and died all paralyzed up.

From Project Gutenberg

When the rush was over after Labor Day, I was again out of a job.

From Project Gutenberg

More About Labor Day

What is Labor Day?

Labor Day is a U.S. federal holiday in honor of workers.

Though some use the day to honor the role of workers and to commemorate the labor movement, there is often less emphasis on these things in the U.S., where most people associate the day with its status as the unofficial end of summer (just as Memorial Day is considered the unofficial start of summer).

It is often celebrated with informal gatherings with family and friends, such as backyard barbecues. The weekend encompassing Labor Day and the Saturday and Sunday before it is often called Labor Day weekend.

The holiday known as Labour Day (which has the same origins) is observed in many places around the world, though often on a different date. It is sometimes called International Workers’ Day or simply Workers’ Day.

When is Labor Day?

In 2023, Labor Day will fall on September 4. In 2024, Labor Day will fall on September 2.

Labor Day falls on the first Monday in September every year. This same date is used in Canada, where the day is known as Labour Day.

In most locations, the holiday known as Labour Day occurs on May 1, a day also observed in some places as May Day. In New Zealand, Labour Day falls on the fourth Monday in October. Different places in Australia observe Labour Day on different dates, including on May 1.

More information and context on Labor Day

The first records of the term Labor Day come from the late 1880s. A day to commemorate workers and the struggle for the rights of workers and proper working conditions was first proposed in the 1800s. In the late 1880s, the date May 1 was chosen to commemorate labor protests at Haymarket Square in Chicago in 1886. At that time, workers went on strike to demand an eight-hour workday. In what became known as the Haymarket Riot or the Haymarket Affair, police killed several protesters, and a bomb was thrown at police. Although the person behind the bombing was never identified, some anarchist organizers were arrested and sentenced to death for the incident.

In the U.S., the holiday known as Labor Day became a federal holiday in 1894. May 1 had been observed in honor of workers and the labor movement prior to that time, but President Grover Cleveland is credited with promoting the move to the first Monday in September to distance the day from its anarchist and socialist origins.

Today, in some locations, especially where the name Labour Day is used, the day is marked by parades and political demonstrations to call for reforms and bring attention to the ongoing work of labor unions.

As is the case for many other holidays in the U.S., Labor Day is also used by many retailers as an opportunity to have sales—meaning that many retail workers have to work on the day despite its aim of honoring workers.

What are some terms that often get used in discussing Labor Day?

• holiday
• weekend
• summer
• labor
• labor union
• labor movement
• strike
• workers
• demonstration
• Haymarket Square
• sale

How is Labor Day discussed in real life?

Labor Day is often considered the unofficial end of summer in the U.S.

Labor Day events: Our guide to the essential events in the Bay Area this weekendhttps://t.co/027vmXDyIZ

— San Francisco Chronicle (@sfchronicle) August 29, 2019

If we celebrated Labor Day on May 1 when we should, American workers would get a lot more time to enjoy the good weather.

— Barry Crimmins (@crimmins) September 5, 2016

So why don’t y’all wear white after Labor Day? Cause I still do.

— Zájia Áni Nadal 🇵🇷🏳️‍🌈 (@ZajiaNadal) February 18, 2021

Try using Labor Day!

True or False?

Labor Day falls on September 6 every year.