Labor Day
Culture/religion: National observance
Date: September 7
Recognized annually on the first Monday in September, Labor Day was created by the labor movement to honor the social and economic achievements of American workers.
The first governmental recognition came through municipal ordinances passed in 1885 and 1886, followed by a movement to secure state legislation. The first state bill was in New York, but the first state to pass the law was Oregon on February 21, 1887.
The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882 in New York City. On June 28, 1894, President Grover Cleveland signed a law making the first Monday in September of each year a national holiday.
Sources: The U.S. Department of Labor