Happy Labor Day

Summer’s unofficial last hoo-rah is upon us.

Even though technically on the calendar fall doesn’t begin until September 23, the Labor Day holiday has long been used as the unofficial end of summer. Mums, fall decor, and pumpkin spice everything will soon be taking over. The long, hot, muggy nights will soon give way to the cool crispness and before we know it the trees will give their annual fall show.

The Labor Movement in the 1880’s was a period of civil unrest in which the working class, tired of deplorable working conditions, along with unfair living wadges, decided to rise up and demand fair working practices. Riots were sparked in several major cities, but by the end of the movement, federal laws were put in to place, many of which we still use today. The idea of making the first Monday in September a “Workingman’s Holiday” began to spread among several cities and states. Although widely implemented, the government did not make the holiday official until 1894, when Grover Cleveland signed the bill in an attempt to mend relations with the workers of the United States.

In modern times, the Labor Day holiday became an unofficial end of summer, mostly because many schools go back in to session, and many employees use what’s left of their vacation time before school gets back into full swing.

Forecasts say that this weekend should be absolutely perfect to get out and enjoy what’s left of the summer of 2019. So get out there, make it count, and from all of us here at the Jefferson County Post, Happy Labor Day!