Labor Day, A Misnamed Holiday

No American holiday is as unusual as Labor Day. As legal holidays go,Labor Day isn’t very old. Whereas Washington’s Birthday (now Presidents Day), Independence Day, Thanksgiving and even Memorial Day (originally Decoration Day) go way back in history, Labor Day didn’t become a national holiday until 1895.

Another unusual aspect of Labor Day is that, for most Americans, it has acquired a meaning beyond that of an ordinary holiday. The first Monday in September has become the quasi-official end of summer and the beginning of fall. Before the 1890s, summer came to an end when the weather changed — sometimes as late as mid-October or even early November. Now most warm-weather institutions — community swimming pools, for example — end their season on Labor Day, no matter that the best summer weather may still be ahead. The day after Labor Day also used to signal the first day of the school year. Now many states open school doors in August.

The major proponent of Labor Day was Peter J. McGuire, whose name is not a household word, even in the homes of historians. The son of Irish immigrants, McGuire found his niche as a carpenter and became a leading force behind the trade’s unionization. It was a modest beginning on Aug. 8, 1881, when 36 delegates representing carpenters in 11 states came together to form the United Brotherhood of Carpenters. With McGuire as the principal administrator, the organization grew from a few members to 70,000 strong by century’s end.

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