Happy Labor day folks! What does this mean? First, it's officially the dregs of summer: The corn is high. The local kids are back at school. The American Football season starts. The weather is gray but warm and muggy.
Yesterday was a lazy Labor weekend Sunday for baking cookies and watching
Newsies, which I thought was appropriate viewing for a holiday that honors unions and workers.
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| the lime is marking out my chili and lime cookies from Mark's oatmeal cookies |
US President Grover Cleveland created this US federal holiday because he wanted to the gain support of unions and workers. May 1st (May Day/International workers' day) had begun to be associated with socialists and communists so this September weekend, the date of a big labor conference, was chosen instead. The move failed but the holiday stayed. Fittingly, it's the DNC Convention right now.
This isn't too unlike the September weekend holidays celebrated in cities
across Scotland, although these tend to be later in the month. Compare these holidays to the annual UK May Day demos, where predictably a Starbucks or McDonald's ends up with a smashed-in window.
It's the last big weekend of the summer.
One thing I can't figure out for sure is whether I'm allowed to wear white after today or not. The Americans I asked say that's an old-fashioned thing and I can wear whatever I like. Can anyone else enlighten me on this?
Can I wear white after Labor day? How do you celebrate this weekend?
