by Kristen Bagwell

What does Labor Day mean to you? When I was growing up, it was the beginning of the school year and the end of the summer. For the fashion-conscious, it used to be the last day to wear your white pants and shoes, although I'm told that rule has gone by the wayside. Pools have their final parties of the season, malls have sales, rates for beach rentals go down the day after. But how did Labor Day start?

Thank you wikipedia for our answer: Labor Day was first proposed as "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 first Labor Day celebration in the US was in 1882 in New York, and became a federally-recognized holiday in 1894 after a number of deaths at the hands of the US Military and Marshalls during the Pullman Strike. (The Pullman Strike was a nationwide conflict between railroads and their labor unions in the late 1800s. For more on that, click here.) President Grover Cleveland was responsible for reconciling with the labor movement, and Labor Day was officially born.

Today, Labor Day is the unofficial-official beginning of the NFL and college football seasons, and used to kick off NASCAR as well. (In Indianapolis, the National Hot Rod Association holds their finals for the national drag race.) We celebrate with parties, picnics, and the occasional local parade.

What are your plans to celebrate Labor Day? Do you have any special traditions with your family?