Labor Day in the United States is not in May
The Labor Day holiday in the United States is the last major holiday before the start of the school year, and the holiday on the first Monday of September provides opportunities for travel and recreation for families, serving as a joyful time before the reopening of schools and universities and a moment to catch a breath.
Holidays other than weekends are fewer in the United States compared to many other countries, and any such opportunity is cherished by Americans.
In election years, Labor Day in the United States marks the end of the slow buildup to the peak of election campaigns, and after this day, the final round of the candidates’ battle begins, making this day a special turning point.
However, the unique aspect of Labor Day in the United States is its difference from Labor Day in most countries around the world. Labor unions and the struggle for workers’ rights in the United States have a history similar to the social and civil activities of workers in Europe. Even in the late 19th century, it was the American labor unions that paved the way for designating a special day for workers in the calendar.
Even the first day of May was established as Labor Day by the American Federation of Labor, but there was a tradition of celebrating this day for workers in September. Interestingly, two labor activists are known as the main designers of this idea, and they have similar names.
The descendants of Peter McGuire and Matthew Maguire have long considered their ancestors to be the main designers of Labor Day in the United States.
The U.S. Department of Labor, in its materials related to the commemoration of Labor Day, based on research, attributes this honor to Matthew Maguire. What established Labor Day in the United States in September, aside from the previous tradition of September, was the disastrous event of May 4, 1886. Labor gatherings in Chicago, demanding an eight-hour workday, which was an important idea for that time, led to a simple confrontation with the police, during which anarchists and extreme socialists took advantage of the opportunity.
An anarchist threw a homemade bomb at the police, sparking serious clashes between the police and the demonstrators.
The killing of several people and numerous injuries accompanied the arrest of eight individuals and serious tensions following that day.
This event, which occurred at Haymarket in Chicago, remained forever remembered by that name.
U.S. President Grover Cleveland agreed with the widely accepted idea of establishing Labor Day in September and officially described this month in 1887 as a time with less sensitivity and tension.
He was determined that Labor Day should not be associated with the memory of the Chicago uprising and the month of May.
Thus, in 1889, Labor Day was officially added to the American calendar in September.