Say you want to know when the lifeguards will leave the beaches and swimming pools for the end of the summer. Say you want to know when the swimming pools will officially close for the summer.  Say you want to know when, if you want to swim in the ocean, you will have to “swim at your own risk”.  Say you want to know when the public schools will open up again and signal the official end of summer.  You are talking about Labor Day!

Labor Day takes place on the first Monday in September.  That creates something that Americans love: A three-day holiday!  As such, it is a big travel weekend, with many people trying to get their last “big bang” out of summer.

Many retail stores have big sales, which leads people to ask, “How is this a celebration of labor, of workers, if everybody has to go to work?” But you can be sure the most non-retail businesses, all banks and all governmental offices are closed, which includes no mail delivery and no trash pick-ups.

Labor Day has been an American holiday since 1882.  We don’t know exactly when students returned to school before that date, but you can be sure that Labor Day is now a major part of American life.

You can read more about Labor Day in the United States Department of Labor‘s own website!