What does labor day mean to you?  Like many of our national holidays, for many people it means a day off from work or school and a chance to socialize with family or friends.  'In 1884 the first Monday in September was selected as the holiday, as originally proposed, and the Central Labor Union urged similar organizations in other cities to follow the example of New York and celebrate a "workingmen's holiday" on that date. The idea spread with the growth of labor organizations, and in 1885 Labor Day was celebrated in many industrial centers of the country.'  (USDOL website) Labor day did not become a national holiday until nearly 10 years later, in 1894.