Labor Day in the United States: A Unique Celebration

The New York Stock Exchange will be closed on the first Monday of September, a day designated as Labor Day in the United States. Unlike most other countries, including Korea, which celebrate Labor Day on May 1st, the United States observes this federal holiday in September.

The history of Labor Day in the United States dates back to 1894, when then-President Glover Cleveland established it as a federal holiday. This decision was made in an effort to bring about social reconciliation after the Pullman Strike, a labor dispute that resulted in many casualties.

At the time, unions in many other countries were already celebrating May Day, which commemorated the events of May 4, 1886, in Haymarket Park, Chicago. On that day, a demonstration in support of striking workers turned violent when a bomb was thrown at the police, resulting in many casualties.

President Cleveland was concerned that setting Labor Day in May would reopen the wounds of the Haymarket Affair each year. Instead, he designated the first Monday in September as Labor Day, a date that was previously celebrated by the New York Central Union, a leading labor movement organization in the United States.

This unique celebration of Labor Day in the United States serves as a reminder of the country’s complex labor history and its efforts to promote social reconciliation.