Labor Day 2009
Labor Day used to signal the start of school. That hasn’t been true for many years in most locations. The school year goes well into June and starts again in August - unless the school uses year round tracks.
Today, Labor Day seems like it is just a 3-day weekend to most folks. As a kid, it just marked the last summer BBQ with friends and seeing our cousins for the last time until Thanksgiving.
One of the reasons the meaning of Labor Day is lost is the celebrations have changed. We have few large industrial centers left in this country. Where once union’s workers proudly displayed their signs and banners throughout town and marched in parades, now it is rare to see evidence of either of those activities. In the 1900’s the character of Labor Day celebrations started to change. By the 1950’s and 1960’s union parades gave way to family picnics and town sponsored activities - but still with pride in the contributions of the American worker.
This year, in our new community of Glenbrooke, we will have to opportunity to get together with friends and neighbors for a Labor Day Potluck, Monday, September 7 starting at 4:30 PM. The cost is only $1 but you must sign up by August 31st. Contact Erin at the Lodge for more information.
What are your favorite memories of a Labor Day celebration? Share your thoughts below.
The photo above is from the Library of Congress. It was taken at the 1942 Labor Day Parade in Detroit by Arthur S. Siegel.
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