Consider This: Relax this Labor Day weekend

Pine Belt, MS (WDAM) -

Labor Day is a public holiday or day of festivities held in honor of working people celebrated in the U.S. and Canada on the first Monday in September.

It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity and well-being of our country.

The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 1882, in New York City with a grand parade and numerous spectators, and a picnic afterwards.

The day was intended to call attention to the thousands of workers who worked 70 hour, 6-day weeks for little pay.

Today, unlike most U.S. holidays, Labor Day is a strange celebration without rituals, except for shopping and barbecuing.

Luckily, we now have laws regulating work hours and minimum wage standards, so we no longer have to hold a parade to call attention to the plight of workers.

For most people, Labor Day simply marks the last weekend of summer and the start of the school year.

Consider This: On this Labor Day, shut off your phone, computer and other electronic devices connecting you to your daily grind. Maybe go to a barbecue, like the original participants did over a century ago, and celebrate having time off from work to enjoy a relaxing time with family and friends.