Make Monday a Labor-Free Day

By Colleen Walsh Fong

Are you looking forward to a little rest over the 3-day weekend? Labor Day is the closing bookend to our summer and a day off of work. But it’s a holiday that grew out of labor unrest. A labor day holiday was proposed by a man named Maguire. Or McGuire. We don’t know for sure because the matter of who had the idea first remains in dispute. But whether it was Peter McGuire of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners, or Matthew Maguire of the International Association of Machinists we got a holiday out of his brainchild.

The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated in New York City on September 5, 1882, according to the US Department of Labor. Its main feature was a large parade. After Chicago’s Haymarket Massacre in 1886, Grover Cleveland championed the holiday to help tamp down labor tempers. By 1894 23 states had already legislated a Labor Day holiday and it became a national holiday that year.

The first Labor Day set the example for 100 plus subsequent ones: A street parade to show the spirit of US laborers, speeches by notable local citizens, and festivals or picnics. Most large US cities (and countless smaller communities) continue this pattern. This year air shows, parades, music fests, and carnivals are among the holiday events of some of our metropolis’s.

And for dedicated shoppers, this is one of the largest sales weekends of the year. Which is especially handy for the areas of the country where school still starts after Labor Day.

For those who like to keep the picnic tradition alive, here are a few free recipes for traditional Labor Day:

Fried Chicken

Cole Slaw

Potato Salad

Baked Beans

Ice Cream

But if you’re looking for a quick and easy main dish that’s low in calories, too, try my grilled salmon recipe.

Be sure to check out a few tips to having a successful picnic or backyard barbeque.

Whatever you do, relax and keep it easy in the original spirit of the day.

Photo Courtesy of debspoons / Freedigitalphotos.net

Colleen is the author of 3 touchscreen cookbooks that do everything but the cooking for you. Check them out and find free recipes and helpful cooking and food info here.