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Hawaii State Holidays
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 This legal holiday is observed to honor Labor on the first Monday in September. It is considered a day of rest and recreation and is generally the end of the vacation season. The congressional bill which proposed a national Labor Day was signed into law by President Cleveland on June 28, 1894. In 1882, Peter J. McGuire, a founder of the labor union called the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, proposed the setting aside of one day in the year to be designated as 'Labor Day.' He suggested that this day be established as a general holiday for the laboring classes. The Central Labor Union of New York City adopted McGuire's suggestion and, on September 5, 1882, sponsored the first Labor Day parade and festival. Many of the marchers carried signs urging improvement in working conditions in their industries. Others asked for an eight-hour day. The celebration was a big success, and dramatized the importance of labor. Labor Day has become a day to pause and rest, a day to renew our conviction that the work of each of us, whatever it may be, is a contribution to the greatness of our nation. |
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