Discover the interesting history and facts behind the end-of-summer holiday.
The first Labor Day was celebrated on September 5, 1882 in NYC
The very first Labor Day was held during a time when most Americans worked 12 hours a day, six days a week. According to americaslibrary.gov, the new holiday was “celebrated with a picnic, concert and speeches. Ten thousand workers marched in a parade from City Hall to Union Square.” It was shortly after the first celebration that Congress officially scheduled the holiday for the first Monday in September. However, It would take several more decades for the modern 8-hour workday to be established as a law.
The origin story behind why we can’t wear white after Labor Day is up for debate
Long seen as etiquette enthusiasts’ most sacred rule, not wearing white after Labor Day has existed in the public consciousness for over a century. But if you asked a fashion expert why the rule exists, they might not even be able to give a concise answer.
One theory is that wearing white during the summer was a practical and easy way to stay cool. “Not only was there no air-conditioning, but people did not go around in T shirts and halter tops. They wore what we would now consider fairly formal clothes,” says Judith Martin, the etiquette columnist known as Miss Manners. “And white is of a lighter weight.”
Other historians, however, disagree with this logical explanation. Time Magazine states: “Along with a slew of commands about salad plates and fish forks, the no-whites dictum provided old-money élites with a bulwark against the upwardly mobile. But such mores were propagated by aspirants too: those savvy enough to learn all the rules increased their odds of earning a ticket into polite society.” In other words, it was an inane fashion rule that was used to weed out the lower class.
It’s the second most dangerous holiday weekend to drive on freeways in the U.S.
Summertime is already a dangerous time of year, with studies such as the one created by Harting Simkins & Ryan reporting a dramatic increase in accidents involving pedestrians and bicyclists. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Labor Day alone averaged 308 fatalities across the U.S. between 2011–2015. This statistic is just slightly less than Memorial Day’s 312 casualties. As both holidays symbolically mark both the beginning and end of summer, both the excitement of the occasion and the recklessness of drivers on the road is heightened.
