Labor Day ~ By Jee Youn

Do you have any idea when you hear ‘Labor Day’ ?

I`m not familiar with Labor Day because I have never worked before. I think that Labor Day is for workers so that they can have some rest from busy lives. However, this day doesn`t just mean a rest for workers. It has an old history. I am going to describe the meaning and history of Labor Day.

Labor Day is a national legal holiday. It has been kept over 100 years.

As the Industrial Revolution took hold of the nation, the average American in the late 1800s worked 12 hours every day (seven days a week) in order to make a basic living. Even children were working at that time. With the long hours and terrible working conditions, American unions started to voice their demands for a better way of life. On Tuesday September 5, 1882, 10,000 workers marched from city hall to Union Square to establish Labor Day. As years passed, more states began to hold these parades, but Congress would not legalize the holiday until 12 years later. However, Congress declared that the first Monday in September would be the holiday for workers, known as Labor Day, in 1894 by continuous striking.