Why Don't Americans Celebrate Labor Day With the World
In the United States of America, the first Monday of September is Labor Day, but the world celebrates Labour Day on the 1st of May.
As a Hongkonger, I feel kind of confused hearing the story.
Why is it the first Monday of September?
Why doesn't the US choose the 1st of May, following the global trend?
This is Antlerium PotatoNews, a series focusing on the daily life of ordinary people, including cultural customs. Today we explore American Labor Day.
Why is September chosen to host the Labour Day?
Everything has an origin, and so has the decision to choose September. In 1882, the Central Labor Union in New York hosted the first "Labor Day" event on the 5th of September. Then, they standardized to the first Monday of September. Other organizations and regions followed suit, and it became a national holiday in 1894.
Promoted by the Central Labor Union, by 1894, a lot of states had passed their law to set the first Monday of September as Labor Day, 30 states to be exact.
The first state to recognize Labor Day was Oregon. It and 4 more states (Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York) set up Labor Day in 1887.
But if the Labor Day officially begins in 1894, what is the reason? Why 1894?
And this involves the reason behind the decision not to follow the international 1st of May.
The story behind the refusal of the 1st of May
In 1886, labourers in Chicago initiated a protest for an 8-hour workday, but the protest ended in a violent accident, resulting in casualties. This was known as the Haymarket Affair.
Despite this, the event garnered national attention to workers' rights and led to the growth of the labour movement. To commemorate this event and support the labour movement, labour unions and organizations began organizing an annual Labor Day celebration.
In 1888, the American Federation of Labor initiated a strike, again demanding work time regulation. Leftist organization, the Second International, also staged a strike to show support.
After that, the Second International decided to organize activities on the 1st of May every year.
This is the origin of the International Labor Day.
However, the American authorities, especially the ruling conservatives, were afraid that the Socialists and Anarchists would hijack their labour movement.
Finally, in 1894, President Grover Cleveland passed a law to set American Labor Day on the first Monday of September.
The Congress passed this fairly quickly because the ruling Democrat was afraid that the ongoing Pullman Strike could affect the mid-term election in the same year.
So, we can blame politics for derailing America from the world again.
Both dates are related
Looking through the reason behind the date of American Labor Day, I realized that no matter whether it is the 1st of May or the first Monday of September, they are both rooted in the labour movement of 19th Century America.
Due to historical and political considerations, Labor Day in the United States is observed on a different date from International Labor Day.
However, can it change the fact that every time there is a labour movement, there is a platform for Leftists to intervene?
Therefore, to be honest, I still find it weird that Americans still haven't switched their Labor Day to the 1st of May.
But if the US doesn't switch, that is also fine. Multiple countries celebrate Labour Day on different dates, and the US is just one of them.
This is the origin of American Labor Day. To learn more about social customs or other topics related to our ordinary life, make sure to follow PotatoNews. We will also post some cliffsnotes on our socials, make sure to follow them.
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