I remember Labor Day right up there with Memorial Day and July Fourth. The summers in Massachusetts were essential to our mental health. Especially after a brutal winter of being locked down under feet of snow or below zero temps. Crazy crap Californians don’t deal with, well, except for the mountain folks. Having a good summer was how you got through the following winter, knowing another summer like last one is coming. A lousy summer, or several in a row, might just push you to move to California – ahem!
At the Hurder residence summer translated to three epic BBQs of insane proportions. Memorial Day, July Fourth, and finally Labor Day. Each would draw between fifty and one-hundred attendees – adults and children. Once, we had one-hundred and twelve visitors over the course of a July Fourth celebration. We happened to live on large chunks of land more than once (due to one connection or another) so room wasn’t often an issue. We invited all the neighbors so they couldn’t complain about noise. 😋 They almost always came but regardless, none ever complained. These were fun events for everyone.
Well, everyone but the cook. The poor cook spent the entire day before shopping, setting up, and dealing with the idea of having so many hungry people in his face. The day of the event he started preparing at 6 am, started cooking at 9am, didn’t stop until 9pm, then cleaned up until 3 or 4 am…had some coffee – three of four cups…and then when it was light again, finished cleaning up what he missed in the dark. He then ate leftovers and went to bed.
Each time he swore to never do it again. HA! He did, and he loved it each and every time and he misses the heck out of it now. There is something about looking around at a group of your friends and family and they are all smiling, laughing, communicating, loving…That’s the real fruit of our labors. It’s not always about the money and possessions. The reward is in the touch of another. That wasn’t really the essence of the day though.
Labor Day
Labor Day stands as a annual reminder of the grit, sweat, and collective sacrifice of the working men and women who built the infrastructure of this nation. Born out of the late nineteenth-century labor movement, the original intention of the holiday was far from a casual long weekend; it was created to honor the vital contributions and dignity of American workers who put in grueling twelve-hour days in dangerous conditions to forge our roads, mills, and trades. For a retired journeyman who spent a lifetime earning a living with his hands, looking at the day’s intent today brings a mix of quiet pride and deep concern over how much the meaning of the holiday has changed.
Labor Day: Its Origin, Evolution, and True Intent
The origin of the holiday dates back to the labor union movement of the 1880s, culminating in Congress declaring it a federal holiday in 1894. At its core, the intention was to give the everyday craftsperson, tradesman, and laborer a dedicated moment of recognition for driving the economic engine of the country.
- Original Purpose: A public tribute to the social and economic achievements of American workers, celebrated with parades to showcase the strength and esprit de corps of trade organizations.
- The Journeyman Ethos: It honored the craftsmanship, safety standards, and fair wages fought for by those who put in honest physical work day in and day out.
- Shift Over Time: Over the decades, the day has increasingly shifted from a celebration of labor into a commercialized marker for end-of-summer sales and backyard barbecues.
Has the day’s intent been tainted? To many who came up through the trades, the honest answer is yes. The modern focus on retail discounts and retail sales events ignores the very people who built the country, often overshadowing the solidarity and purpose the day was built upon.
Despite the noise of commercialization, the core spirit of Labor Day remains alive in every worker who takes pride in a hard day’s work and every trade that keeps our communities standing strong. Honoring the true meaning of the holiday means looking past the sales ads and remembering the hands that built America.
In our little corner of the universe, we celebrated labor day contributing largely to the commercialized version ourselves, even back then. The essence of the day for us was seasonal celebration, and had little to do with the blood, sweat and tears that made it all possible. There’s something purifying about remembering the true meaning of such a day as this. Similar to finding a meaning for Memorial Day after avoiding it for so long.
There will be no crowd here today. I remembered. Happy Labor Day – please remember its origin.
Labor Day
Popi sends…
Other Random Thoughts: Nearly There
Can you see it?