Labor Day (US) 2026 — How Many Days Until Labor Day (US)?
About Labor Day (US)
Labor Day in the United States is a federal holiday observed on the first Monday of September, celebrating the contributions of workers to American society. It has its roots in the labour movement of the late 19th century, when workers campaigned for an eight-hour workday, safe conditions, and fair wages — demands that came at great personal risk.
The holiday was proposed by the labour unions of the 1880s and first observed in New York City on 5 September 1882. Several states adopted it before President Grover Cleveland signed it into federal law in 1894 — just days after federal troops broke up the Pullman Strike, in what historians view as an attempt at political reconciliation with organised labour.
Today, Labor Day has lost most of its political connotations for most Americans and functions primarily as the unofficial end of summer — a final long weekend before schools resume and autumn begins. Major sales events, parades in some cities, and barbecues characterise the holiday. Wearing white after Labor Day was long considered a fashion faux pas, though that rule has largely faded.
- Labor Day falls on the first Monday of September in the United States
- The first Labor Day parade was held in New York City on 5 September 1882
- It became a federal holiday in 1894, weeks after the Pullman Strike was crushed
- Labor Day weekend marks the unofficial end of summer in the US
- Canada celebrates Labour Day on the same day — the first Monday of September