Labor Day occurs on the first Monday in September and was first celebrated in the United States on September 5, 1882. The date was deliberately selected to fall between Independence Day and Thanksgiving. The holiday was suggested by Peter J. McGuire, a New York City carpenter and a founder of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and by Matthew Maguire, a Paterson, New Jersey machinist. They strongly believed that American workers should have a holiday similar to those of other countries. The first celebration was observed only in New York City with a parade of about 10,000 workers. The idea spread quickly and in 1894, President Grover Cleveland declared Labor Day a national holiday.
The association of the holiday with trade and labor unions has declined over the years. Labor Day for most people means the end of summer and the vacation season as well as the beginning of school for many students. The day is often celebrated with picnics, sporting events, reunions, and, in an election year, political rallies.