Today is Labor Day, a U.S. federal holiday that Americans celebrate on the first Monday of September each year.
This marks the 131st anniversary of the holiday. In 1887, Oregon was the first state to make Labor Day an official holiday. In 1894, after the Pullman Strike, Congress passed a bill that recognized Labor Day as a federal holiday, and President Grover Cleveland signed the bill into law.
Labor Day is often celebrated as the unofficial end of summer in the U.S., with families enjoying backyard barbecues or one last trip to the beach. And until fairly recently, wearing white after Labor Day was considered a major fashion faux pas, a custom that dates back to the Gilded Age, when wealthy ladies would pack away their white frocks and unpack their winter furs.
Little-known fact: At first, Labor Day only applied to federal workers, but since 1894, all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and U.S. territories have made Labor Day a statutory holiday.
Airports and highways will be packed today, so if you’re traveling today, good luck!