It’s ironic that we don’t work when we celebrate Labor Day! Shouldn’t it be called Un-Labor Day? Actually the history behind it tells more of the story. We have parades and picnics, barbecues and baseball games, to honor those in the labor movement of yesteryear. The holiday was promoted by the Central Labor Union and the Knights of Labor. These folks laid the foundation for the American economy to prosper and to promote fair work hours for an honest wage. We thought you might enjoy some tidbits from tradition and culture to help you celebrate this federal holiday even more.
Parades
The Central Labor Union organized the first Labor Day parade in 1882 in New York City. If your plans include a visit to NYC, you can be a part of all of this. Many cities celebrate with a parade – so check and see if there’s one in your town. Want to see photos from way-back-when, showing you how Labor Day started and the holiday parades began? Take a nine-minute trip back in time to see how things got started.
Picnic
Labor Day traditional signals the last of summer days, and in some places where temperatures soar into the three-digits, the coming of fall is a welcome relief. Many families celebrate the day with a picnic with their favorite foods. A classic choice is often fried chicken, so you may want to try this prize-winning recipe found on the Old Farmer’s Almanac website. By the way, the Almanac is older than Labor Day itself, founded in 1792.
Baseball
If the kids on the block don’t have enough players for a full game, they improvise. No matter what, there’s something so American about swinging that wooden bat and running around the bases. Ironic since we actually borrowed the game from the Brits, but they called it Rounders. Once again, it was in New York City that the craze began, back in the mid-1850s. The Cincinnati Red Stockings was the first official fully-professional team. Now we have a total of 30 teams, 15 playing in the National League and 15 in the American League. Baseballs were initially made from old melted shoes wrapped in yarn and leather, but now Official Baseball Rules describe exactly how one should be constructed. A Little Pretty Pocket-Book, the first children’s book about baseball, was read long before the sport became an American pastime. Want to take a peek of an illustration and a bit of the rhyme in John Newberry’s book?
Here at Online Sales Pro, we hope that you and your friends and family discover your own traditions to celebrate the hard work of those who came before us. How about you? Would you like to work less finding interested customers for your business? Try out what we’ve got and find a new way to celebrate Labor Day!
