What does Labor Day mean anyway?

I found a lot of different answers to this question on my quest to see what it means anymore.  To those who are unemployed, it's just another day off in a string of days off.   To those who work in retail it's just another day to work, no day off.  Seems to me there's not much to celebrate anymore with labor unions becoming a thing of the past as well.  But Labor day is the Ecrater Stores Network scavenger hunters theme this week, so this is what I found:  In the late 1880s labor organizations campaigned state legislatures to recognize labor with a state holiday in which New York was to be the first to declare it a state holiday in 1887. Congress made it a national holiday in 1894.  I saw some differing opinions on these statistics, but this is the one I chose.

Growing up labor day meant the start of school, and since it is always on the first Monday in Sept.  it was a 3 day week-end as well.  We had cookouts and played badminton, went to parades and celebrated the ending of summer.  Although the first day of Autumn isn't until Sept. 22nd. But that's what we did.  When I became an adult and worked it was a day off from the day job and I usually cleaned my house or cleaned out cupboards or closets.  I've labored for a loooong time! These days the "day" itself doesn't mean much to me, but "labor" does.   The paycheck is mighty nice, but labor also means to me commitment, belonging, responsibility, community, purpose, and gratitude that I do have a job in this troubling economy.

At Le Petit Marché I labor to get to get my listings on, take decent photos of the items I have for sale and to accurately describe the items.   And I bet the artist who painted this Russian Khokhloma Mini Decorative Spoon did it with a labor of love for his craft.