Hannah Blann, 11, left, of Easton, Md., Joe Normandia, of Levittown, and his daughter Carolina Normandia, 3, build a sand castle at Sandy Point State Park on Labor Day weekend in Annapolis, Md. on Saturday, Sept. 4, 2010. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Be honest: The main reason you care about Labor Day is it’s a guaranteed three-day weekend right as summer is winding down. And that’s OK. No harm, no foul (unless you’re planning on wearing white any time after today, in which case, major foul). But maybe you woke up this morning and were wondering, “What is Labor Day?”
Labor Day is celebrated every year on the first Monday of September, but it wasn’t always that way. The first Labor Day was celebrated on Sept. 5, 1882, by (who else) the Central Labor Union of New York. Over the next dozen years, numerous states enacted their own Labor Days. Finally, on June 28, 1894, Congress stepped in and passed an act designating the first Monday of September as the official day of Labor Day.
According to the United States Department of Labor, Labor Day is “dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers.” As of August 2010, that applies to approximately 154 million people in the work force, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
When it comes to fashion, Labor Day means one thing: Take any white clothing and lock it in your closet until Memorial Day. Believe it or not, the original reason behind this was a practical one. Wearing white is a great way to stay cool, something of great importance during June, July and August. These clothes, in addition to being white, were also lightweight, another no-no when January temperatures are single-digit.
All this implies there is logic in the world of fashion, which means odds are it’s wrong. The other popular theory behind the rule is a social one. In the early 20th century, the only people wearing white were wealthy, upper-class members of society. After spending nine months wearing lame colors like dark green and black, they donned white from head to toe to go along with their change of venue, from the city to getaway spots (much like people working in New York City flock to the Hamptons come summer). But as wealth slowly became more distributed, more and more people were able to gain entry to the expanding middle class, so those already rolling in the dough spread the white fashion statement as a rule. Thus previously rich people had a way to keep the new highrollers out, and the new highrollers had a regiment to adhere to when flaunting their new riches.
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden runs while taking part in a Labor Day parade, Monday, Sept. 6, 2010, in Toledo, Ohio. (AP Photo/J.D. Pooley)
But don’t miss the white too much: Before you know it, there will be snow all around and pale skin on everyone you see.
