Do You Know When and Why the First Labor Day Parade Was Held?
Today Labor Day marks the end of summer, a day off from school and work, with fun parties and parades.
Centuries ago the first Labor Day parade was not so celebratory. During this time there were no safety regulations, and often young children were forced to work long hours just to help their families provide barely enough to live on.
The need arose for oversight to regulate pay and limit the hours in a work week.
On September 5, 1882, 10,000 workers took unpaid time off to march from City Hall to Union Square in New York City, holding the first Labor Day parade in U.S. history. Twelve years later, Labor Day was declared a national holiday.