It seems like in American culture the lines get blurred over time. I wonder if I asked people specific questions to labor day. Would they be as ignorant of the event as I am? Could the meaning be completely lost here in 2007? I remember last Memorial Day, quite a few people wishing me a happy memorial day. There is nothing joyous about Memorial Day. It is intended to be a day of respect and remembrance. I wonder if Labor Day had lost its value like the day for our fallen hero's.

Part of me is amazed that our Country has such a day. A day to honor the average American Worker. To let them know that they are a part of the backbone of our great nation. I have said this before it isn't our Government that makes the United States great. It is the every day common people.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Website has this to say:

Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

There is some discrepancy as to who was the first to coin Labor Day. According to the Article quoted above. It goes on to mention two separate names. Peter J. McGuire and another man Matthew Maguire. History probably blurred the lines and confused these two names. They were both a part of the Labor Party and worked for Unions. The first documented celebration of Labor Day is September 5, 1883. Oregon is the first state to pass it as a State Holiday on February 21, 1887.

I further quote Department of Labor:

A Nationwide Holiday

The form that the observance and celebration of Labor Day should take were outlined in the first proposal of the holiday — a street parade to exhibit to the public "the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations" of the community, followed by a festival for the recreation and amusement of the workers and their families. This became the pattern for the celebrations of Labor Day. Speeches by prominent men and women were introduced later, as more emphasis was placed upon the economic and civic significance of the holiday. Still later, by a resolution of the American Federation of Labor convention of 1909, the Sunday preceding Labor Day was adopted as Labor Sunday and dedicated to the spiritual and educational aspects of the labor movement.

The character of the Labor Day celebration has undergone a change in recent years, especially in large industrial centers where mass displays and huge parades have proved a problem. This change, however, is more a shift in emphasis and medium of expression. Labor Day addresses by leading union officials, industrialists, educators, clerics and government officials are given wide coverage in newspapers, radio, and television.

The vital force of labor added materially to the highest standard of living and the greatest production the world has ever known and has brought us closer to the realization of our traditional ideals of economic and political democracy. It is appropriate, therefore, that the nation pay tribute on Labor Day to the creator of so much of the nation's strength, freedom, and leadership — the American worker.

The irony of all of this, I had a person go to their job, to make me coffee.

References:

• U.S. Department of Labor: Labor Day
• Labor Day
• PBS Online Newshour: Labor Day
• A Brief History of Labor Day
• History Channel: The History of Labor Day