All city offices will be closed today in observance of this nationally recognized holiday, which was first celebrated on September 5, 1882, in New York City.Labor Day became a federal holiday in 1894, following the deaths of a number of workers at the hands of the U.S. Military and U.S. Marshals during the Pullman Strike.
Afterwards, President Grover Cleveland put reconciliation with the labor movement as his top political priority and fearing further conflict, legislation making Labor Day a national holiday was rushed through Congress unanimously and signed into law a mere six days after the end of the strike.
Traditionally, most Americans celebrate Labor Day as the symbolic end of summer, where families with school-age children take it as the last chance to travel before the end of summer recess. Similarly, some teenagers and young adults view it as the last weekend for parties before returning to school, although school starting times now varies.
Forms of celebration include picnics, barbecues, fireworks displays, water sports, and public art events.
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