Happy Labor Day!

Happy Labor Day! I hope you all are enjoying a day off of work and school with your kids!

When is Labor Day: Labor Day falls on the first Monday in September. This year Labor Day is today, 9/2/13.

What is Labor Day: Presently it is a day off of work and is seen as the last day of summer. However, it began as a day to celebrate different labor organizations' achievements and contributions to the economy and the nation.

• "Labor Day differs in every essential way from the other holidays of the year in any country. All other holidays are in a more or less degree connected with conflicts and battles of man's prowess over man, of strife and discord for greed and power, of glories achieved by one nation over another. Labor Day...is devoted to no man, living or dead, to no sect, race, or nation." ~ Samuel Gompers, American Federation of Labor founder

History of Labor Day: Labor Day was first held in 1888. In 1894 it became a federal holiday. There are two people who are credited with beginning Labor Day; Matthew Maguire and Peter McGuire. There has been some documentation that leans towards Matthew Maguire starting Labor Day. September was chosen for a few reasons; one of which being that there was no holiday between the 4th of July and Thanksgiving!

How To Celebrate With Kids:

• Attend a parade.
• Talk about why we celebrate Labor Day.
• Plan a family outing, BBQ, or last summer event.
• Ask your kids to name all the jobs they can think of.
• Make a few crafts:
• Make your own bricks. Mix a little water with dirt in a bowl. You want to add just enough water that the dirt holds together, but not enough to make mud. Press the wet dirt into small containers (small juice or milk cartons, ice cube trays) and let dry for 10 days in a warm dry place. Once they are dry you can build your own houses and buildings.
• Make your own candles. You can buy a candle-making kit at local craft stores or at Amazon (Beeswax Kit).
• Bake your own bread. Check out my Soda Bread recipe for an easy to make bread!
• Make thank you notes and give them out to your teacher(s), garbage person(s), mail delivery person(s), etc.
• Have the kids dress up like their favorite profession.

LINKS:

Wiki
www.timeanddate.com
Department of Labor

Here's a Labor Day-themed Word Find in honor of today.

STOP! ANSWERS BELOW!

How Do You Celebrate Labor Day?