Ever wonder about the origins of Labor Day? Labor Day is an official holiday in the United States celebrated on the first Monday in the month of September. It honors the American labor movement and the contributions that workers have made to the strength, prosperity, laws and well-being of the country.
Beginning in the late 19th century, as the trade union and labor movements grew, trade unionists proposed that a day be set aside to celebrate labor. “Labor Day” was promoted by the Central Labor Union and the Knights of Labor, which organized the first parade in New York City. In 1887, Oregon was the first state of the United States to make it an official public holiday.
Following the deaths of workers at the hands of United States Army and United States Marshals Service during the Pullman Strike of 1894 in Chicago, the United States Congress unanimously voted to approve legislation to make Labor Day a national holiday and President Grover Cleveland signed it into law six days after the end of the strike. Cleveland supported the creation of the national holiday in an attempt to shore up support among trade unions following the Pullman Strike. By the time it became an official federal holiday in 1894, thirty U.S. states had already been observing Labor Day.
Labor Day is also called the “unofficial end of summer” because it marks the end of the cultural summer season. Many workers take their two-week vacations during the two weeks ending Labor Day weekend. To take advantage of large numbers of potential customers with time to shop, Labor Day has become an important weekend for discounts by many retailers in the United States, especially for back-to-school sales. Some retailers claim it is one of the largest sale dates of the year, second only to the Christmas season’s Black Friday.
So my friends, make sure you take a little vacation to celebrate the fruits of your labor. Take some time to go fishing and check out some of the Labor Day sales from our trusted advertisers.
As always we would like to thank our pro writer’s who take their time to offer up expert fishing tips: Cassie Willis, Craig Lambert, Jeffrey Acosta, Galveston Bay Foundation, Dean Muckleroy, Mark Franklin, Mark Talasek, Tobin Strickland, Mike Meza, Michael ‘Sharky’ Marquez and Brian Joseph Spencer. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank our advertisers: Hook Spit, Serious Tackle, Bacliff Builders Supply (Ace Harware), OJ’s Marine, Avid Anglers Jewelry Design, Fisherman’s Motel, Tran Sport Boats Inc, Gulf Coast Palapas, Cowboy’s Wild Game Washer, Spotless Services, Advanced Marine Service, LLC, Blackburn Marine, SafeFloor, JZ Rails, Gulf Coast Complete Marine and Ron Hoover RV & Marine Galveston. Without them, this magazine would not be possible. Remember to visit and shop with our advertisers and please make sure you ask for your Coastal Angler discount upon purchase.