Comments on: US public holidays http://annehodgson.de/2009/09/03/us-public-holiday/ Learning English Online with Anne Hodgson Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:01:24 +0100 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Anne http://annehodgson.de/2009/09/03/us-public-holiday/comment-page-1/#comment-2183 Anne Fri, 04 Sep 2009 15:06:32 +0000 http://annehodgson.de/?p=8640#comment-2183 Just looked at the AFL-CIO page, which is the US/Canadian federation of unions, and they do take Labor Day as a day to promote their constituency. I was just reading their <a href="http://blog.aflcio.org/2006/08/31/labor-day%E2%80%94a-poor-cousin-to-may-day/" rel="nofollow">history of Labor Day/May Day on the AFL-CIO blog</a>. Had forgotten that Bush declared 1 May "Loyalty Day" in 2003. Just looked at the AFL-CIO page, which is the US/Canadian federation of unions, and they do take Labor Day as a day to promote their constituency. I was just reading their history of Labor Day/May Day on the AFL-CIO blog. Had forgotten that Bush declared 1 May “Loyalty Day” in 2003.

]]> By: Anne http://annehodgson.de/2009/09/03/us-public-holiday/comment-page-1/#comment-2182 Anne Fri, 04 Sep 2009 14:48:20 +0000 http://annehodgson.de/?p=8640#comment-2182 Only by socialists, I think. It didn't register with me as a kid. Only by socialists, I think. It didn’t register with me as a kid.

]]> By: chris http://annehodgson.de/2009/09/03/us-public-holiday/comment-page-1/#comment-2181 chris Fri, 04 Sep 2009 14:41:56 +0000 http://annehodgson.de/?p=8640#comment-2181 And is May 1 celebrated State side? And is May 1 celebrated State side?

]]> By: Anne http://annehodgson.de/2009/09/03/us-public-holiday/comment-page-1/#comment-2180 Anne Fri, 04 Sep 2009 14:33:58 +0000 http://annehodgson.de/?p=8640#comment-2180 Labor Day began in the 1880s, after a labor leader saw union activity for the 9 hour day in Toronto, and the first worker-led labor day was held the same year in September 1882. The date was incidental. But then Congress turned Labor Day into a national holiday following the notorious <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pullman_Strike" rel="nofollow">Pullman Strike of 1894</a> (many dead) as a concession to the rioting workers. The international labor movement, the "Second International", on the other hand, began championing 1 May following the Chicago Haymarket Incident, where demonstrations and strikes for the eight-hour day in May 1886 were ended in a bloodbath on May 4, 1886. The Second International met in Paris to demonstrate for the 8 hour day on May 1, 1890. So back on the ranch in the States there was this relatively meaningless holiday in September, while the firecrackers were flying round the world on 1 May. Labor Day in the States is a (national) holiday to say that summer vacation is over, and it's a big day in NFL and college football (the NCAA), with the NCAA kicking off the season on the Thursday before, and the NFL on the Thursday after Labor Day. PS: Labor Day has nothing to do with labor, as far as I can tell. It should be called National Football Day. But that will get them in trouble with pesky European-American soccer fans like me ;) PPS: It's also a great weekend for a (last?) pool party and a barbecue. Labor Day began in the 1880s, after a labor leader saw union activity for the 9 hour day in Toronto, and the first worker-led labor day was held the same year in September 1882. The date was incidental. But then Congress turned Labor Day into a national holiday following the notorious Pullman Strike of 1894 (many dead) as a concession to the rioting workers. The international labor movement, the “Second International”, on the other hand, began championing 1 May following the Chicago Haymarket Incident, where demonstrations and strikes for the eight-hour day in May 1886 were ended in a bloodbath on May 4, 1886. The Second International met in Paris to demonstrate for the 8 hour day on May 1, 1890. So back on the ranch in the States there was this relatively meaningless holiday in September, while the firecrackers were flying round the world on 1 May.

Labor Day in the States is a (national) holiday to say that summer vacation is over, and it’s a big day in NFL and college football (the NCAA), with the NCAA kicking off the season on the Thursday before, and the NFL on the Thursday after Labor Day.

PS: Labor Day has nothing to do with labor, as far as I can tell. It should be called National Football Day. But that will get them in trouble with pesky European-American soccer fans like me ;)
PPS: It’s also a great weekend for a (last?) pool party and a barbecue.

]]> By: chris http://annehodgson.de/2009/09/03/us-public-holiday/comment-page-1/#comment-2178 chris Fri, 04 Sep 2009 10:22:17 +0000 http://annehodgson.de/?p=8640#comment-2178 I don't really get the Labour Day thing. is it a holiday to say that the holidays are over? Is it anything like May 1? I don’t really get the Labour Day thing.
is it a holiday to say that the holidays are over?
Is it anything like May 1?

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