4 ms·

May Day - like labour day in Canada/USA... but on the first of May

xp84 5mo ago
I would argue nothing about American Labor Day has anything to do with labor at all. Honestly we should just rename it “Summer’s End” because there is literally no theme. The ad flyers for the sales on that weekend have, if any perceivable theme at all, red, white and blue / Stars and Stripes for some reason. It’s traditional that school starts the day after it, but in many places that’s been dragged several weeks sooner into August for some sick reason. We just don’t even have any holiday that honors labor, laborers, or labor unions.
- TeMPOraL 5mo ago
  > I would argue nothing about American Labor Day has anything to do with labor at all. Honestly we should just rename it “Summer’s End” because there is literally no theme. Isn't that true of most holidays pretty much anywhere in the West these days? Sure, there's Christmas and Halloween and Easter that have specific themes, but excepting deeply-religious communities who practice associated traditions, they're as meaningful as cosmetic items in free-to-play games. But every country has a bunch of other holidays that most people don't know or care about much beyond knowing it's a day off.
  - xp84 5mo ago
    You’re not entirely off-base. But I think that people do get that Memorial Day, in addition to being the most popular day to BBQ, is about appreciating those who gave their lives in service of their country (i.e. they died for us). Valentine’s Day is about love. But Labor Day? People say “well uh I guess it’s about…work? Which we celebrate by not working lol”
- lostlogin 5mo ago
  > in many places that’s been dragged several weeks sooner into August Do you mean April?
  - xp84 5mo ago
    I mean they start school in August in many places now, instead of the traditional September, the Tuesday following Labor Day, a change which I think is dumb.
- wffurr 5mo ago
  >> We just don’t even have any holiday that honors labor, laborers, or labor unions. That holiday is May Day but it's not federally recognized in the US specifically to hinder labor organizing in this country. President Grover Cleveland went with the September alternative proposed by one of the early unions because it was "less inflammatory" than May Day which was preferred by all the other unions.

xp84 5mo ago

I would argue nothing about American Labor Day has anything to do with labor at all. Honestly we should just rename it “Summer’s End” because there is literally no theme. The ad flyers for the sales on that weekend have, if any perceivable theme at all, red, white and blue / Stars and Stripes for some reason. It’s traditional that school starts the day after it, but in many places that’s been dragged several weeks sooner into August for some sick reason. We just don’t even have any holiday that honors labor, laborers, or labor unions.

TeMPOraL 5mo ago
> I would argue nothing about American Labor Day has anything to do with labor at all. Honestly we should just rename it “Summer’s End” because there is literally no theme. Isn't that true of most holidays pretty much anywhere in the West these days? Sure, there's Christmas and Halloween and Easter that have specific themes, but excepting deeply-religious communities who practice associated traditions, they're as meaningful as cosmetic items in free-to-play games. But every country has a bunch of other holidays that most people don't know or care about much beyond knowing it's a day off.
- xp84 5mo ago
  You’re not entirely off-base. But I think that people do get that Memorial Day, in addition to being the most popular day to BBQ, is about appreciating those who gave their lives in service of their country (i.e. they died for us). Valentine’s Day is about love. But Labor Day? People say “well uh I guess it’s about…work? Which we celebrate by not working lol”
lostlogin 5mo ago
> in many places that’s been dragged several weeks sooner into August Do you mean April?
- xp84 5mo ago
  I mean they start school in August in many places now, instead of the traditional September, the Tuesday following Labor Day, a change which I think is dumb.
wffurr 5mo ago
>> We just don’t even have any holiday that honors labor, laborers, or labor unions. That holiday is May Day but it's not federally recognized in the US specifically to hinder labor organizing in this country. President Grover Cleveland went with the September alternative proposed by one of the early unions because it was "less inflammatory" than May Day which was preferred by all the other unions.