Labor Day: Coming to a Town Near You Since 1894

Most Americans know Labor Day as a time of barbecues, parades and the symbolic end of summer. But the holiday, always on the first Monday of September, has a history that stretches back more than 100 years.

The first Labor Day was celebrated in New York City on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 1882, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. It was proposed by the Central Labor Union, an early trade union, to honor the social and economic contributions of workers. 

In 1884, the labor union selected the first Monday in September for the day, urging other cities and their unions to celebrate this “workingmen’s holiday.” 

The first municipal ordinances recognizing the holiday were passed in 1885 and 1886. Oregon became the first state to make the holiday a law on Feb. 21, 1887. By 1894, 24 additional states followed suit. 

That same year, the holiday gained national recognition. Many workers had died at the hands of U.S. marshals when the Pullman Strike turned violent, and then-President Grover Cleveland made appeasement with the labor movement a top political priority. On June 28, 1894, Congress deemed the day an official holiday. 

Today, all government buildings and offices are closed on Monday, while communities partake in festivities during the three-day weekend. 

In Los Gatos, the Los Gatos Community Foundation hosts 2-10 p.m., Saturday, at , 233 Blossom Hill Rd. Residents are encouraged to bring their lawn chairs and enjoy a full day and evening of live music performances by award winning artists at the park. Proceeds from food, beer/wine sales, and sponsorships will benefit the new Los Gatos Youth Sports Park Snack Shack. 

Then on Monday, the Calvary Church of Los Gatos presents its free event, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., 16330 Los Gatos Blvd., Los Gatos. There will be fun, food and entertainment for the whole family. The popular Movable Feast (SJ Eats) food trucks will offer their culinary expertise. The kids can take part in various activities in the preschool and elementary children's play areas and there will live music on hand to entertain the rest of the bunch.