We all think of it as just another holiday ā a day off from work and the end of summer. But what is Labor Day really? Why do we celebrate it? How did it become a Federal holiday? Well you can āgoogleā it, as I did, but if you donāt want to bother, here are some facts.
Itās always celebrated on the first Monday in September, and is a national tribute to the workers of our country. The first Labor Day was celebrated in New York city in 1882. State by state passed legislatures creating their own Labor Day until on June 28, 1894 it became a national law.
Labor Day is the last day of the year when itās fashionable to wear white or seersucker. Itās the start of the NFL and college football seasons and has become an important retail sale weekend. In fact, it is second only to the Christmas seasonās Black Friday. Ironically, because of the importance of this sale weekend, retail employees not only work on Labor Day but work longer hours!
Thatās a short summary of Labor Day, but do āgoogleā it because the history of this holiday is fraught with violence like the infamous Haymarket Riots and more.
Your community radio station, WHRU, is on the air as usual and our volunteers are working to bring the best radio programming to you our listeners even on Labor Day.
A while back we introduced a new show, āHomemaking with Lydia,ā with Lydia Wade as host. Lydia was born in the Philippines and after recording one of her first shows, she surprised all of us by presenting a typical Philippine meal that she brought to the station. We had Pancit, a famous Filipino noodle dish and Adobo, a form of stew. She had cooked everything at home, and even brought all the serving utensils, drinks and dessert. Everything was absolutely delicious and a welcome treat. Thank you Lydia.
While developing programs for the station, I have met some of the most interesting people and learned a lot about their lives and adventures. So will you when you tune in 101.5FM.
