Labor Day 2020: When Is the Date of the Holiday?

Labor Day 2020 falls on Monday, September 7 this year, so if you’re trying to get an early start on planning that last big holiday weekend of the year, now’s the time. Labor Day always falls on the first Monday of September, so the date changes every year. In 2021, Labor Day will be on September 6, and 2022 will be celebrated on September 5.

Labor Day Celebrates American Workers & Their Contribution to a Prosperous Country

GettyAmerican flags are placed in the ground as part of the Donald W. Jones Flag Memorial June 13, 2003 in Fairless Hills, Pennsylvania. (William Thomas Cain/Getty Images)

Labor Day is a day to celebrate all American workers and their contribution to the prosperity of our nation. According to the Department of Labor, the holiday is “a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.”

The first ever Labor Day was celebrated in New York City on Tuesday, September 5, 1882 in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union, according to Office Holidays. Labor Day weekend has been celebrated as a national holiday in the United States and Canada since 1894.

“Labor Day differs in every essential way from the other holidays of the year in any country,” said Samuel Gompers, founder and longtime president of the American Federation of Labor. “All other holidays are in a more or less degree connected with conflicts and battles of man’s prowess over man, of strife and discord for greed and power, of glories achieved by one nation over another. Labor Day…is devoted to no man, living or dead, to no sect, race, or nation.”

The holiday also celebrates the end of summer, while ushering in the Autumn season; similar to Memorial Day and the 4th of July, Americans typically celebrate the long holiday weekend with camping, cookouts and bonfires. There are often parades to celebrate the holiday as well, and many use Labor Day weekend as a chance to take out boats and kayaks one last time before fall rolls in and temperatures start to cool.

With The COVID-19 Virus, Many Parades, Concerts & Big Celebrations Are Already Canceled

FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – MAY 21: (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

With the COVID-19 pandemic still sweeping the nation, many holiday and summer celebrations, including parades, concerts and festivals, have been canceled for the year. So if you usually celebrate Labor Day with a concert, holiday parade or big event, you might need to make alternate plans this year.

Although we’re all crossing our fingers for a regular Labor Day with no limitations, quarantine restrictions or closures, it’s definitely a possibility with the globe still in the midst of the coronavirus epidemic, so we wanted to put together a few creative, alternative suggestions for things to plan for the weekend.

Aside from cooking out, camping or fishing, a few fun ideas to celebrate Labor Day while still taking necessary safety precautions and social distancing include sparking up a bonfire, going golfing, heading to a drive-in movie theater or spending the weekend hiking. Kayaking, biking and boating are always great backup plans, and if you’re looking for something a little more unique, you can always build a mini golf course in your backyard, plan your own wine or beer taste-testing competition with a few close friends, or set up a projector on the side of the garage to create your own outdoor movie theater.

Military Discounts & Freebies on Memorial Day 2020