# Quick 'un: When's the Labor Day weekend in America? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 17, 2000, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-un-whens-the-labor-day-weekend-in-america/25807 "2000-07-17T05:58:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dpr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8797f3/32.png) [@dpr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dpr)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2000, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-un-whens-the-labor-day-weekend-in-america/25807/1 "2000-07-17T05:58:09Z")
Pardon the ignorance of those of us born outside the states. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2000, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-un-whens-the-labor-day-weekend-in-america/25807/2 "2000-07-17T06:03:34Z")
First Monday in September. ---
**Author:** ![dpr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8797f3/32.png) [@dpr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dpr)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2000, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-un-whens-the-labor-day-weekend-in-america/25807/3 "2000-07-17T06:07:40Z")
Thanks mate. You’ve yet to let me down. Your promptness is appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![Fleetwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fleetwood/32/271_2.png) [@Fleetwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fleetwood)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2000, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-un-whens-the-labor-day-weekend-in-america/25807/4 "2000-07-17T12:13:33Z")
Thead Hijack Alert It is also the weekend that the NFL kicks off. Last year they delayed it a week (a Y2k thing?) and dropped the week off between the Conference Championship games and the Superbowl. They should do this _every_ year. End Hijack ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2000, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-un-whens-the-labor-day-weekend-in-america/25807/5 "2000-07-17T12:19:22Z")
Most of the rest of the world celebrates May 1 (sorry, 1 May) as Labor Day, in honour of the Haymaker Riots in Chicago in the early 1900s (damn, can’t say “early this century” anymore): an incident wherefrom innocent protestors on behalf of organizing labor were tried, convicted, and executed for the murder of police. As labor became organized, and national labor holidays were set up, May 1 was chosen almost universally (well, OK, Europe) as the day to celebrate… except the U.S. which viewed the episode as somewhat embarrassing and so chose a different day (First Monday in November, as previously noted). Canada followed the U.S. example, for reasons never made clear to me, unless it was an attempt to suck up to their huge southern neighbour. ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2000, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-un-whens-the-labor-day-weekend-in-america/25807/6 "2000-07-17T12:26:21Z")
**CKDextHavn** : > [@](#): > > … except the U.S. which viewed the episode as somewhat embarrassing and so chose a different day (First Monday in November, as previously noted). September. ---
**Author:** ![Flypsyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f0a364/32.png) [@Flypsyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flypsyde)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2000, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-un-whens-the-labor-day-weekend-in-america/25807/7 "2000-07-17T13:51:18Z")
Well, hell, as long as we’re nitpicking, it was the Haymarket Riots. In 1886. Sorry, Dex. I’ll go crawl back under my rock . ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2000, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-un-whens-the-labor-day-weekend-in-america/25807/8 "2000-07-17T13:54:56Z")
**Cecil Adams** on [Labor Day, the illuminati and other stuff](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_043.html). ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2000, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-un-whens-the-labor-day-weekend-in-america/25807/9 "2000-07-17T15:20:05Z")
I gotta stop with those early morning Bloody Marys. ---
**Author:** ![DVous\_Means](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@DVous\_Means](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DVous_Means)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2000, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-un-whens-the-labor-day-weekend-in-america/25807/10 "2000-07-17T15:33:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by CKDextHavn \* > \*\*Most of the rest of the world celebrates May 1 \*\* In South Australia, it’s the first Monday in October. There are small marches that occur on May 1, but they are confined to the die-hard unionists… …of which I happen to be one. I wore my union badge on May 1, and got strange looks and questions from my workmates (also union members). Up the workers, Comrades! ---
**Author:** ![Rodd\_Hill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3ab097/32.png) [@Rodd\_Hill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodd_Hill)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2000, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-un-whens-the-labor-day-weekend-in-america/25807/11 "2000-07-17T16:51:01Z")
**CKDextHavn** said: > [@](#): > > Canada followed the U.S. example, for reasons never made clear to me, unless it was an attempt to suck up to their huge southern neighbour. While there are many excellent reasons to suck up to our southern neighbour, the Excited Stares of America, I think that Labour Day thing with us here in Tundraland is that there was a national May holiday already. The monarch’s birthday is celebrated on **Victoria Day** , the third Monday in May (regardless of what the monarch’s _real_ birthdate is). This is apparently in honour of Queen Victoria, born May 24th, 1819, and has been observed as a holiday since her death in 1901. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2000, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-un-whens-the-labor-day-weekend-in-america/25807/12 "2000-07-17T21:18:02Z")
Oregon was the first US state to make Labor Day a holiday. It was celebrated on the last SATURDAY in June from 1887 until 1893. In 1894, Labor Day became a Federal holiday and was moved to the first Monday in September. People celebrated the day by no longer wearing white shoes. ---
**Author:** ![TampaFlyer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/71e660/32.png) [@TampaFlyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TampaFlyer)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2000, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-un-whens-the-labor-day-weekend-in-america/25807/13 "2000-07-18T20:56:33Z")
More info: [http://www.dol.gov/dol/opa/public/aboutdol/laborday.htm](http://www.dol.gov/dol/opa/public/aboutdol/laborday.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2000, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-un-whens-the-labor-day-weekend-in-america/25807/14 "2000-07-18T21:36:15Z")
I thought everyone knew, Labor day is held on the last day of the SDMB Vegas Bash 2000. ---
**Author:** ![Kepi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kepi/32/7251_2.png) [@Kepi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kepi)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2000, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-un-whens-the-labor-day-weekend-in-america/25807/15 "2000-07-19T05:34:44Z")
Isn’t it actually the first Monday _ **following the first Sunday** _ in September? For example, if September 1 fell on a Monday, Labor day would be celebrated on September 8, not September 1. But if September 1 fell on a Sunday, Labor Day would be celebrated on September 2. In other words, it’s not possible for Labor Day to be on September 1. Or did I just imagine this? ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2000, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-un-whens-the-labor-day-weekend-in-america/25807/16 "2000-07-19T05:46:18Z")
Yes, you imagined it. Labor Day can be on September 1. That was the case in 1997. ---
**Author:** ![Kepi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kepi/32/7251_2.png) [@Kepi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kepi)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2000, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-un-whens-the-labor-day-weekend-in-america/25807/17 "2000-07-19T05:52:29Z")
I guess I have a vivid imagination! Now, where did I get this idea? Is there some holiday or event that doesn’t occur until after the first Sunday of the month? Election Day maybe? ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2000, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-un-whens-the-labor-day-weekend-in-america/25807/18 "2000-07-19T05:59:40Z")
Election Day is the first Tuesday after the first Sunday, which means it never can be November 1. I believe that the Master covered the reasons for that. ---
**Author:** ![dpr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8797f3/32.png) [@dpr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dpr)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2000, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-un-whens-the-labor-day-weekend-in-america/25807/19 "2000-07-19T06:23:54Z")
Huh! Start a thread for a quick question and expect it’s lifespan to be brief, turn your back and it goes and grows up on you. Incidentally, in Queensland Labour Day is May 1 which this year, due to wonderful timing with Easter and ANZAC Day meant we had to only work four days from 13. 🙂 And we have another day altogether to celebrate the Queen’s Birthday (and in a flash of dry witticism it’s called The Queen’s Birthday Weekend).