First celebrated in New York in 1882, Labor Day began as a parade to honor the working class. From the beginning, the celebration proved a favorite. Over the next decade, similar Labor Day celebrations began cropping up across the United States. In fact, Colorado, New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts even passed laws declaring Labor Day a state holiday. In 1894, the U.S. Congress followed suit. Just 12 years after New York held the first Labor Day parade, Congress declared the first Monday of each September a national holiday in honor of the working class. Canada also celebrates Labor Day on the first Monday of September.
