Labor Day 2019: Deals, History, Fun Facts

ACROSS AMERICA — The last unofficial weekend of summer is a time for baseball games, barbecues, and making memories with the family, but it's also a time to cash in on great deals going on across the country.

Whether it's a deal on a new fridge, watch, or mattress — finding your next home appliance for a great price will help mitigate that end-of-summer nostalgia and imminent return to school and work.

The first Monday in September 2019 will be the 125th anniversary of Labor Day being celebrated as a national holiday, and the day has come a long way since its official creation in 1894.

The day was made to pay homage to the creation of the labor movement, and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. There were 14.7 million workers that belonged to a union in 2018, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Along with the local deals that may be occurring throughout your city or town, many national retailers are offering special deals for Labor Day, which falls on Sept. 2 this year.

Here are some of the best we found:

Electronics:

• Samsung 65” 65NU6950 4K Smart LED TV (BJ’S): Price: $549.99 (Discount: 31.25 percent)
• Google’s Nest Hub (eBay’s Labor Day Sale): Price: $59 (Discount: Save $70)
• Nikon D3500 Digital SLR Camera (Exchange): Price: $499 (Discount: 41.22 percent)
• Lenovo 130-15AST 15.6-inch Laptop (Best Buy): Price: $210 (Discount: Save $90)
• AKG K52 Closed-Back Headphones (Guitar Center): $29.99 (Discount: 60 percent)

Clothes & Accessories:

• Old Navy: 50% off of jeans, dresses, and tees from 8/29-9/2
• Gap: 50% off everything from 8/30-9/2.
• Nordstrom: End of summer sale from 8/30-9/8: Slashed prices on all items and up to 40 percent off.
• Levi Men’s Jeans (Academy Sports + Outdoors): Price: $35.70-$41.70 (Discount: 40 percent)
• Men + Women’s Tiro Pants (DICK’S Sporting Goods): Price: $34.98 (Discount: 30.04 percent)

Restaurants:

• Baskin Robbins: On Aug. 31, participating restaurants will offer scoops of ice cream for only $1.70.
• Cumberland Farms: Over Labor Day Weekend buy any 20-ounce Pepsi or a bag of Lay’s chips, and get any type of Cumberland Farms Chocolate for free.
• Dominos: Get 50 percent off menu-priced pizza through Sept. 1.
• IHOP: Children ages 12 and under will be able to get one free kids meal for each adult entree purchased every Friday starting on Labor Day Weekend.
• Firehouse Subs: Starting Aug. 28 and running through Sep. 18, participating locations are offering $10 off any catering platters.

The good folks at WalletHub also put together a list of fun facts about Labor Day:

• 1882 was the year of the inaugural Labor Day celebration, when 10,000 workers assembled in New York City for a parade.
• 35 percent of the work force belonged to unions in the 1950s, which was the all time high.
• 25 percent of Americans that plan to get out of town for Labor Day Weekend.
• 40.6 percent of Americans plan to barbecue over Labor Day Weekend.
• 818 hot dogs are eaten eery second from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
• 84 running races will be held across the country this Labor Day Weekend.