Labor Day
Labor Day has been celebrated for over 100 years and started as a celebration in honor of the working class by the Knights of Labor in 1882 in New York. In 1884, the Knights held a large parade in New York City which was held on the first Monday in September.
The Knights passed a resolution to hold all future parades on the same day, designated by them as Labor Day.
In 1887, Oregon, Colorado, New York, Massachusetts, and New Jersey became the first states to declare Labor Day a state holiday. In 1894, Congress passed a law recognizing Labor Day as an official national holiday.
Today, Labor Day is observed in the U.S., Canada, and other industrialized nations. It has come to be recognized in the U.S. as a celebration of the working class, but also as the unofficial end of the summer season. In the northern half of the U.S. at least, the summer vacation season begins with Memorial Day and ends with Labor Day. Many colleges, secondary and elementary schools begin classes immediately after Labor Day.