Category: Culture Articles

Samhain is a word for a month in the Celtic calendar; the Samhain festivals marked the end of the summer season and end of the harvest. In Irish language, Samhain is the word for November and the Scottish Gaelic spelling is Samhainn or samhuinn meaning for the feast. As per the Gaulish testimony, Samhain was the principle festival of medieval Ireland, which was celebrated at the royal court of Tara with a great assembly.

Today, celebrating Samhain has survived in some traditions like the secular Halloween, Catholic All Soul’s Day. In the Celtic nations and Scottish Diasporas, Samhain remains as several folk practices and is one of the sabbat feasts of the Wiccan year wheel. The festival of Samhain celebrates the harvest and the dead.

Samhain Festivals and Folklore

Many festivals today carry the legacy of celebrating Samhainn with the harvest and the dead. The Scots and the Irish celebrate the File na Marbh, the “festival of the dead” on Samhain.

Samhain eve is one of the chief festivals of the Celtic calendar, which represents the final harvest and is considered to fall on or around the 31st of October. In Irish, this eve is known as Oche Shamhna and in Scots Gaelic as Oidhche Shamhna. Halloween in the Gaelic language of modern Scotland and Ireland is still known as “Oche/Oidhche Shamhna”. In some places it is a custom to set a place for the dead on the samhain feast and the tales of the ancestors are told.

Celebrating Samhain by the Neopagans is done in various forms. In some culture, dead are honored elaborately, some celebrates like the Ancient Celts or like the living Celtic cultures and some observe it as a holiday with rituals picked from different sources, Celtic tradition being one of them.

The date of the first frost, when the last of the harvest is in is the time when Celtic Reconstructionist Pagans celebrate Samhain. They base their celebration on rituals from the traditional Celtic culture and of the beliefs of old polytheistic Celts. They believe that Samhain is the time when the distance between the “spirit world” and the “human world” fades.

The modern day Wiccans observe Samhain as one of the eight annual holidays, the “sabbats” of the Wiccan wheel. It is a festival of darkness and death, which is balanced, by the spring festival of Beltane, the festival of life and fertility.

Folklore Of Samhain

There are numerous folklores revolving round the holy festival of Samhain. Many characters in Celtic Irish legend undertook their adventures at the Samhuinn night feast. One such Tale is if the Barrle of Mag Tuired, which rook place on Samhain. This tale tells the story of the battle between Dagda’s people and the Fomorians. The deities Morrigan and Dagda met before the battle and had sex. Thus Morrigan gives victory to Dagda’s people.

Is Samhain The Celtic New Year?

The Gaulish calendar divides the year into two halves. The “dark half” begins with the month of Samonios (the October/ November lination) and the “light half” begins with the month of Giamonios (the April/ May lunation). The Celtic New Year is considered to begin with the dark half, so the beginning of Samonios can be considered as the New Year’s Day. The New Year is celebrated during the “three nights of Samanios” when the fullmoon is nearest the midpoint between the autumnal equinox and the winter solstice.

Samhain is literally “summer’s end”, the point of entrance into the dark phase of the year. Though there are debates among scholars regarding whether Samhain is the Celtic New Year or not, but the living Celtic cultures and contemporary Celtic calendars consider Samhain as the New Year.

The Samhain Celebrations

Samhain was a pre-Christian festival of an agricultural and cattle based economy. These holidays are the time to take stock of grain supplies and cattle.

Bonfire plays a large part in the festivities. The early villagers is said to shed the bones of the slaughtered cattle upon the flames. Then the villagers extinguished all other fires and lit their hearth with flames from the bonfire to strengthen the bond of the families of the village. Sometimes bonfires would be built side by side and people walked between the fires to purify themselves.

Divination with apple and nuts is a common folkloric practice used to determine ones spouse name or location of ones future home.

Thus celebrating Samhain, the ancient celebration of harvest and dead is still a time of strong bonding and rejoice.

The Bodhi Day is an important day in the Buddhist religion. It signifies the day when Lord Buddha achieved “Moksha” or “Bodhi” (Release From The Bodily Imprisonment). It was the day, when He attained “Enlightenment.”

From Gautam To Buddha, The Enlightened One

In the 6th century B.C, Prince Gautama Sidhhartha (Lord Buddha) left His family in search of other greater achievements, which would be superior from material gains like having a family and other worldly aspects.

Prince Buddha started preparing for His meditation under the “Bodhi” tree (Ficus Religiosa). He vowed to remain there, until He achieved His goal of complete freedom from this corporeal frame. At the eighth day of His meditation, Buddha attained Enlightenment with the knowledge of four noble truth and eight- fold path upon which Buddhism is founded. Attaining Enlightenment signifies prophetic qualities, which took Buddha to supreme position of a seer.

It is said in Buddhist mythology that Buddha faced a lot of trouble while meditating. There is a reference that “Mara”, the queen of illusion tried to distract Buddha. There are other references, which say that Buddha did not face any obstacle in His path, and concentrated deeper and deeper to free His soul.

What is the Bodhi Day?

The “Bodhi Day” is also known as “Rohatsu”. Rohatsu is the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month. The observation of the “Bodhi” day continues for seven days that is from 1st December to 8th December. According to the ancient mythology, the Zen Buddhists first marked Buddha to attain Enlightenment. During Rohatsu, the Buddhists go through an intense meditation program, known as “sesshin”.

The Bodhi day is quite different from the birthday of Lord Buddha, which is known as the “Wesak Day”. The Bodhi day is particularly popular between the “Mahayana” sect of Buddhism. The day reminds the “Zen” and the “Sin” Buddhists of a significant fact that if one tries, he can free his soul from this corporeal chain through hard ascetic practices.

The Observations Of The Bodhi Day Among The Budhhists

The Japanese Buddhists celebrate the day by putting stress on the four lessons taught by Buddha. The four lessons are:

• All beings are subject to suffering since suffering is universal.
• The cause of all suffering is ignorance. Ignoring the self is greater ignorance.
• Ignorance can be overcome through proper understanding.
• One should always be guided by wisdom, ethics and mental discipline.

Buddhists believe that, after meditating for seven days and seven nights, Lord Buddha achieved “Nirvana”. Now He Became “Buddha”- the “Awakened Soul”.

He later preached His disciples that through a pure mind, the true nature of reality can be realized. Men should try to cast off all selfish cravings, laziness, and self-doubts and attain a higher state of existence. He also stated that the true beauty is the beauty of self less love.

Thus, Bodhi Day signifies, the ultimate reality of existence, which resides in the superiority of soul, freed from the earthly bondages.

“Nirvana Day” is a festive day for Mahayana Buddhists who observe the death of the Gautama Buddha on this day. Some Buddhists celebrate this day on 15th February as Parinirvana . On this day, Buddha spoke the last words of his life to his followers before expiring at the age of eighty. Buddhists believe that it is a holyday for introspecting into one’s own future death, or reflect on friends or relations who have passed away lately.

Talking about nirvana you need to know what does it stand for?

What is Nirvana?

Though, it is not an easy task to simplify nirvana. Yet you can call it basically an idyllic spiritual condition where the heart douses hatred, passion, and delusion. According to Buddhist philosophy it is the greatest spiritual plane one can attain. At this phase of life, light of knowledge dispels the darkness of ignorance, existence is visible without substance and peace follows as life draws to an end, which seems to cure the long sickness the body was suffering.

Nirvana is the ultimate aim of Buddhism and understood as the end of rebirth. This stage of life is the point where you sacrifice all your desires and become free from all kinds of sufferings. Buddhists devote their whole life for attaining perfect peace of Nirvana.

There are two general categories in which you can divide Nirvana. The primary, which is a “residual” or partial Nirvana is an experience of Nirvana, which occurs while a person is still alive. Here the ‘residue’ is the body, which is the final bond of existence of the residual, Nirvana does not engrave. The secondary is the “non-residual” Nirvana, also known as “parinirvana” or “perfect nirvana”. This is the Nirvana where one awakes fully as his body perishes. Nirvana is attained when the body is free from all bondages.

Buddha’s attainment of Nirvana.

Buddha had ascended through all the nine stages of meditational attainment, and then the great prophet reversed the process, and returned to the first trance. Again he emerged from that, and once more he ascended step by step to the fourth trance. After emerging from the practice of that, he achieved everlasting peace on Nirvana day.

Celebrations on this holyday

Celebrations on Nirvana Day vary from place to place throughout the world. In the monasteries this day is treated as a social occasion. Buddhists celebrate this holyday mostly by meditating or by going to Buddhist temples or monasteries. Though, in some monasteries Buddhists read passages from the Paranibbana Sutta , which portrays the conclusive days of Buddha, where as others devote this occasion for those who have recently passed away.

People prepare food and few of them bring presents such as household goods, money, or clothes. Mahayana Buddhists feel indebted to the great Seer who showed them the path of salvation on Nirvana Day. However, from a broader view, Nirvana Day is the day to discover a way towards gaining the perfect peace and win over death.

The Muharram is celebrated during the first month of the Islamic calendar, which is considered the most sacred month of the year. The Shia Muslims consider this month as the month of sorrow and mourning, because the Battle of Karbala was fought during this time.

The 10th day of Muharram is known as the Asurah. Husayun Ibn Ali, the grandson of Prophet Mohammed, and his family was murdered in the Battle of Karbala in AD 680. The Sunni Muslims not only fast on this sanctified day, but carries it till the ninth and tenth or the tenth and eleventh day. Their fast continues till the evening.

Since the Muharram falls on the first month of the year, therefore it is a time for happiness. But the Shias think that it is “haram” to express happiness during this time. The word Muharram is actually derived from the word Haram, which actually means forbidden. The Shias also do not fast as they think that it is a sign of happiness. But only on the tenth day, which is known as the Asurah, the Shias observe voluntary fasting.

The famous quoted lines of Prophet Mohammed from the Fiqh-us-Sunnah, Volume 3, number 25, says, that the prayer during midnight is the best after the obligatory (five daily) prayers. The book also says that the voluntary fasting during the month of Muharram is the best fast.

Muharram also means respect. The Quran was considered the final word after the death of Prophet Mohammed. Since the prophet did not announce any successor, therefore after much dispute, Ali Bakr, a good follower of the Prophet was considered the successor.

But his reign, faced deluge of protest from the mass and he and his family was executed. Since he was murdered on the tenth day of the month of Muharram, it was and is still now considered as the day of sorrow and pain. Actually these circumstances divided the Muslim society into the Shias and the Sunnis. The Shias believe that Ali, Hassan and Hussain are the rightful successors of the Prophet and mourn their death during Muharram.

The Rituals

The first ten days are observed with sadness. The women forbid all adornments and scenes of the battle of Karbala are carried in Shia Mosque. As soon as the moon appears, people recite plaintive verses over sweetened cold drinks, which signify that Hussain and his family had to suffer terrible thirst. During the nine days, paper replica of the martyr’s tomb is made. On the tenth day, decorated taziyas and tombs adorned in precious stones are led through the city streets. People also torture themselves by whip lashing their bodies with chains and walking on burning coal.

The popular belief is that if the a few rituals are properly followed on the day of Ashurah, then it leads to great rewards. The rituals are to give alms to the poor, to cut the nails, to recite Surah Ikhlas about 1000 times, to observe fast on this particular day, to be in the company of religious Ulema and many more.

In Islamic history the day is considered to be an auspicious day, as it is believed that Allah created heaven and earth and that on this day he gives his infinite blessings to all. But, inspite of these auspicious days, the Muharram is considered as a month of moaning, as Hussain and his family was murdered.

Veterans Day is a legal and federal holiday in United States to honor the war veterans. This day is celebrated on November 11 in honor of the people who has served in the armed forces of the US.

The Origin Of Veterans Day

Veterans’ Day is observed on November 11, the same day as Armistice Day. President Woodrow Wilson first designated November 11 in 1919 as Armistice Day celebrating the anniversary of the signing the armistice in 1918 that ended World War I. On November 11, 1918 the Allied powers signed a cease-fire treaty with Germany at Rethondes, which marked the end of World War I.

The Congress passed legislation in 1938, which designated Armistice Day as a federal holiday.

How Armistice Day Became Veteran’s Day

In 1953, the citizens of Emporia, Kansas observed Veterans’ Day instead of Armistice Day. Subsequently a legislation to officially change the name of Armistice Day to Veterans Day was introduced in the United States House of Representatives by Congressman Ed Rees of Emporia, Kansas. In 1954, the name of the holiday was changed to Veterans’ Day to honor the veterans who died in the war.

The official designation is “Veterans Day”, without an apostrophe but is frequently misprinted as Veteran’s Day or Veterans Day in ads or calendars.

Veterans Day is packed with stories of bravery and tragedies of the war.

How Veterans Day Is Observed

Special services take place at the tombs of known and unknown soldiers in the US to commemorate this special day. Parades are performed, prominent people address the mass, and people take flowers to the cemetery on Veterans Day.

With US, Great Britain and France also celebrated Veterans Day till World War II, which gave a jolt to world peace again. After World War II Veterans Day became the day to pay tribute to the veterans of both the wars. In 1954, after the Korean War, Veterans Day was officially designated to honor all the soldiers of US war.

Veterans Day is called Remembrance Day in Canada. In Great Britain the war veterans are honored on the nearest Sunday of November 11.

Veterans Day is the day to celebrate peace in the world.

The term “flag day” has two significant definitions. The first definition states that a day is decided so as to fly a flag in a certain area and the other definition signifies that a day is determined to specially honor an event involving a day, like its adoption or creation. The national law or decree can decide where and how the flags can be flown. The flag days are usually codified in the national statutes.

The flag of the United States was born on a year just after the independence of the nation. There is a special significance for differentiating the Flag Day from the Independence Day.

The declaration of America to become a country of its own was not the only reason why the flag was created. On June 14th, it was the first day that the flag of America was hoisted with recognition. In 1977, the fist flag was hoisted, since continental congress did not want to use The British Union Jack. The first flag of the country, the grand union was hoisted on a flagpole.

What does the US Flag stand for?

The colors of the flag denote the struggle for freedom. The stars represent the colonies. The red color, which is separated, signifies the separation of America from the rule of Great Britain. The pointed stars represent the colonies under united governing body. The designing and colors spread over the flag, manifest loyalty, honor and essence of patriotism that kindled in the hearts of those who fought for freedom. Therefore, the Flag Day recognizes the work of those who created such an amazing piece of work that displays patriotism and independence.

Hence on every June 14th, it is every citizen’s prime responsibility to show gratitude and feel the true essence of the significance of the united colors of the national flag. The Flag Day is popularly known as the National Flag Day.

How it all started?

Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation in 1916, according to which June 14 was recognized as the Flag Day. After the resolution of the Continental Congress in 1977, the day was recognized as the Flag Day. The Flag Day was not celebrated as a holiday then, but the state of Pennsylvania was the first to celebrate this day as a holiday. On the Flag Day, a long parade is held in the City of Troy.

George Balch, a New York City kindergarten teacher first conceived the idea of observing the Flag Day. He arranged activities and ceremonies for the children in the school on June 14, 1889. Next the State Board of education adopted the idea and Flag Day celebration followed one or two years later. In 1891, the Betsy Ross house held a celebration and in 1892, the New York Society of the Sons observed the day.

After this, the Pennsylvania Society of Colonial Dames of America requested the mayor of Philadelphia to hoist the flag on the Flag Day and observe the significance. After two days, the Board of Managers Pennsylvania Society of the sons of Revolution voted the day as the Flag Day. Since that day Flag Day is observed on June 14th. Later, the Flag Day became a national holiday. President Truman also signed an act and designated June 14 as the National Flag day.

Imbolc meaning “in the belly” is one of the four principal festivals of the Irish calendar. It is celebrated either at the beginning of February or at the first local signs of Spring. Several Christians term the day as “the feast of the Purification of the Virgin” or “Candlemas”. This festival is basically dedicated to the goddess Brigid, subsequently in the Christian period it was adopted as St Brigid’s Day.

In the recent times, you would see the modern Pagans celebrating Imbolc rituals on 1st or 2nd February. Though some Neopagans share this celebration to the midpoint between the winter solstice and spring equinox. It actually falls later in the first week of the month. Now, as the Celtic year was based on both solar and lunar cycles, the holiday is most likely to be celebrated on the full moon day.

Wiccans perform Imbolc rituals as one of four “fire festivals”, which formulate half of the eight holidays (or “sabbats”), of the wheel of the year. They define Imbolc as a cross-quarter day or midway between the winter solstice (called Yule) and the spring equinox (called Ostara).

The significant aspect of this festival is fire and purification. Brigid (also referred as Brighid, Br de, Brigit, Br d) is recognized as the Celtic Goddess of poetry, smithcraft and healing for whom the day is sacred. The lighting of candles signifies the return of warmth and the growing power of the Sun in the coming months.

A brief study of the origin of Imbolc Rituals

You can have an idea of how Imbolc used to be celebrated in Ireland, from ancient Celtic manuscripts collected in the 19th and early 20th century. It elaborately describes the festival, and folklore in rural Ireland and Scotland. These materials can also be compared with studies of similar customs in Scandinavia along with the customs maintained till the present date in the Celtic nations and Scottish Diasporas.

Imbolc Rituals performed during the festival

Rituals performed on this day include hearth fires, divination, special foods, or simply watching for omens (performed either seriously or as children’s game). A lot of candles are lit up and an outdoor bonfire is also enjoyed, if the weather lets it. Imbolc is principally a festival of the hearth and home. This celebration marks the early signs of spring and lengthening of days.

You find an exciting folk tradition called the Brigid’s Bed that still persists both in Christian and Pagan homes on Imbolc day (St. Brigid’s Day). The girls and young, unmarried women of the household or village craft a “corn dolly” that represents Brigid or the Brideog (also known as “young Brigid” or “little Brigid”). They adorn it with ornaments like shells or stones and tie beautiful ribbons on it. A bed is prepared for the Brideog to lie down.

On 31st January, which is on the St. Brigid’s Eve, the girls and young women get together in a house to keep on whole night with the Brideog. Later on all the young men of the community visit this house, but should take permission to enter the abode. Once they are in the room they have to treat them and the corn dolly with respect.

It is believed that Brigid walks on the earth on the eve of Imbolc. Each member of the household usually keeps a piece of clothing or strip of cloth outside before going to bed, for Brigid to bless. In the morning, the head of the household smothers the fire and scrape the ashes smooth. Then they look for a mark on the ashes as a sign of Brigid’s appearance on that night or morning.

Imbolc is a festival of honoring the Goddess Brighid. People celebrate this day by welcoming the spring and lengthening of days.

Halloween is celebrated on the 31st of October night. It is common among children to dress up in scary costumes and move from door-to-door collecting sweets and gifts. They shout at each door, “trick or treat!” before their sacks are filled with treats. Watching horror movies, visiting haunted houses and enjoying some haunted hayrides form a part of the traditional celebrations.

Anoka, Minnesota is the Halloween capital of the world. The history of Halloween dates back to 1920, where the festivities originated in Anoka in an attempt to keep younger people away from vandalism. At that time Halloween was known as “Samhain” and was a pagan festival among the Celts of Ireland and Great Britain. Other western countries have embraced Halloween as part of American pop culture later.

Countries like United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, United Kingdom, Peru, Australia and others also celebrate Halloween. Some parts in Western Europe also are celebrating it recently.

Halloween is the shortened name for All-hallow-even as it is on the eve of All Saints Day. It is also called Pooky Night in some parts of Ireland, named after a mischievous spirit. However, there are some fascinating symbols, which make the Halloween celebrations all the more exciting, like:

The Carved Pumpkin

Many families carve out a scary or a comical face onto a pumpkin and place a candle inside it to illuminate the carved out features. They leave it on their doorstep after dark. Legend has it that a stingy, greedy and drunkard old farmer tricked a devil into climbing a tree and trapped him there by carving a cross on the tree trunk. The devil curses Jack to wander on the Earth seeking Eternity. The carved pumpkin basically symbolizes this event.

The Imagery

Halloween is all about darkness and mystery. Popular Halloween characters are ghosts, witches, bats, owls, vultures, black cats, haunted houses, skeletons, demons and werewolves.

Halloween also has some associative colors and each color symbolizes something else, like:

Black – The color of death, night, black cats, vampires and witches
Orange – The color of autumn, pumpkin, Jack-o’-lanterns and fire
Purple – The color of the supernatural and mysticism.
Green – The color of goblins and monsters.
Red – The color of blood and evil.

Games- “trick” of the celebration

Fun games like bobbing apples in a water tub and letting players pick them up by grasping them with their teeth. Or maybe, placing saucers in a table and asking a blindfolded participant to choose one saucer where the contents of each saucer will foretell what the person has in store for him/her in the future. Unmarried women in North America are even said to have gone to the extent of gazing at a mirror in a dark Halloween night groping for their future husband’s face.

Food – “treat” of the celebration

Caramel apples, where apples are rolled in sticky sugar syrup were the most common treat given to kids until reports of candy poisoning were spread. Other foods of the Halloween are candy corn, barmbrack, pumpkin pie, roasted pumpkin seeds, candies shaped like skulls, bats, etc.

Therefore, the Halloween is the perfect mix of trick with treat. It is this blend that makes Halloween as enjoyable as it is.

New Orleans Mardi Gras, which in French means Fat Tuesday, is officially the day before Ash Wednesday also commonly referred to as Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Day. New Orleans Mardi Gras, now a weeklong celebration can occur anytime between February 3rd and March 9th, depending on when Easter is held that particular year.

New Orleans Mardi Gras, much more than the Masks, Music, and Mayhem

It’s an exercise meant to unite different culture coming together to celebrate the things that make them unique. The common theme is to have fun and have a great time.

Ancient Romans celebrated the Lupercalia, a circus like festival in mid February unlike the New Orleans Mardi Gras you are familiar with today. After Rome embraced Christianity, the early Church fathers decided to incorporate certain aspects of pagan rituals into the new faith. Carnival became a period of abandon and merriment that preceded the penance of Lent, thus keeping the ancient system alive.

Mardi Gras had been celebrated way back to middle ages in Paris, where it was a major holiday. However, it came to America in 1699 with the French explorer Iberville. Interestingly, the first Mardi Gras in North America was not celebrated under American Rule but probably under French rule.

Iberville sailed into the Gulf of Mexico, from where he launched an expedition up the Mississippi River. On March 3rd 1699, Iberville had set up a camp on the west bank of the river about 60 miles south of where New Orleans is today. Mardi Gras were being celebrated in France on that day. Thus, Iberville named the site Point du Mardi Gras to commemorate this important day.

Celebrating Madri Gras

Mardi Gras is widely celebrated in the form of carnival in most parts of Europe, Latin America and in the Carribean Islands. Venice in Italy, Mazatlan in Mexico, New Orleans, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador da Bahia, are some of the places that enjoys celebrating Mardi Gras to the fullest.

King Cake is one of the most delicious and culturally significant items that have been associated with Mardi Gras celebrations from the very beginning. King Cakes are available in all sorts of colors like purple green and gold with flavored fillings such as cream cheese, strawberry, and apple in an oblong or oval shaped cinnamon dough cake, glazed with frosting and sprinkled with colored sugar.

If it’s a King cake, it has to be special – besides taste it has loads of fun simply limited to its taste. Hidden on the underside (after baking) of each King Cake is a small plastic figurine in the shape of a baby. Whoever finds the baby is officially the King or Queen of the party and gets the honor of supplying the next King Cake or throwing the next Mardi Gras Party.

Marching bands move on the streets playing jazz music. Bunnies, painted clowns, masked lions, cross-dressing beauty pageants is a common spectacle in the streets of New Orleans. Masked balls and colorful parades drive millions of fun seekers. Strange dress and strange performance with a full dose of entertainment makes the New Orleans Madri Gras celebration so unique.

You just cannot resist yourself from being crazy in the charged environment of Mardi Gras.

What and When is Labor Day?

Labor Day is a day of celebration to pay tribute to the working people. Labor Day is celebrated as a national federal holiday in United States and Canada. Many people often wonder when is Labor Day. The holiday is celebrated on the first Monday in September. The holiday started off in 1882 when the Central labor Union desired and created a day off for working people. Till today this day is celebrated as a day of rest.

The History Of Labor Day

There is a debate regarding who first proposed the holiday for working population. From some records we get the name of Peter J. McGuire who was the General Secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and who co-founded the American Federation of Labor as the first proponent of Labor Day. He suggested having a day to honor those who “who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold.”

But the other views say that a machinist, Mathew Maguire founded the Labor Day. He later became the secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, New Jersey. He proposed a holiday for the working class in 1882 when he was working as a secretary of the Central Labor Union.

The first Labor Day was celebrated in accord with the plans of Central Labor Union in 1882 on Tuesday and the date was 5th September. However, May 1st was designated as Labor Day throughout the world in later years.

The Legislation

Labor day gradually became popular and the government first recognized it through municipal ordinances passed during 1885 and 1886. Now, Labor Day geared up for state legislation. Oregon was the first state to pass the law on February 21, 1887. In 1887 Labor Day law was passed by New Jersey, New York, Colorado and Massachusetts. Gradually more states passed legislation on Labor Day holiday. In 1894, Congress passed an act and made the first Monday of September each year a legal holiday in the District of Columbia and the territories. The Bill became a law as President Grover Cleveland signed it on June 28th.

How Labor Day Is Celebrated?

When the first Labor Day was observed, the outlined activities first included a street parade to demonstrate “the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations” of the working community. Then a festival was held so the workers and their families could spend the holiday amusingly. Gradually the economic and civic aspects got more emphasis and speeches by famous men and women were included as a part of Labor Day celebrations. In 1909, American Federation of Labor convention took up a resolution which dedicated the preceding Sunday of the Labor Day Monday to the spiritual and educational facets of the labor movement.

When is Labor Day celebrated the way it was intended? Today, most of people find Labor Day to be the end of summer and a day to take rest. Nowadays in Labor Day, political exhibits are rare and the day is celebrated with picnics, barbecues, water sports, public art events and firework show offs.