Happy Labor Day to all my many readers across the USA

However, what is Labor Day …never heard of it said one of my friends when asking me what it is, and another friend in the USA, asked me if we have Labor Day in England.

So, if you were asked what is Labor Day? Do you really know? As far as the American holiday is concerned many British people know no more than it is a long weekend over the first Monday in September and considered to be the official end of summer, the beaches and water resorts stay open for a last summer celebration, and a tradition used to be that you didn’t wear white clothes or shoes after Labor Day. The day used to also coincide with the start of the new school year after the summer holidays but more schools now return in mid or late August.

The tradition of celebrating Labor Day as a national holiday across the USA goes back over 100 years. It began in 1882 in New York as a parade by the Knights of Columbus to give credit for the contributions to New York life of working class citizens. In 1884, a parade was held by the Knights celebrating the working class. The date chosen was the first Monday in September, and then the Knights decided to hold all such future parades on this day, and from then on the first Monday in September was seen as Labor Day.

The Socialist Party also held a celebration to commemorate the working class, this was on May 1^st and became known as May Day. Both the Socialists and Communists celebrated it and so in the United States the first Monday in September was chosen to remove the Communist associations.

This May Day celebration is more in line with the May Day observances held in the UK and many other countries on or around May 1^st. This celebration has origins as a pagan celebration of the end of winter and start of summer, closely associated with fertility, but was taken over as a celebration to honour workers. The First Monday in May is a holiday in the UK … http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/uk/early-may-bank-holiday. Many places in the UK have ancient traditions surrounding May Day, involving such things as dancing around May poles and crowning a May Queen .

In the 20th century May Day has also become linked to International Workers' Day in Great Britain, even though the holiday is not officially a "Labour Day". In London the May Day march and rally, organised by the London May Day Committee (South East Region Trades Councils), gather together in Clerkenwell Green near the Marx Memorial Library before marching to Trafalgar Square for a rally with speeches from representatives of local, national and international trades unions and campaigning organisations. This event always takes place on May 1 with the intention to reinstate May 1, regardless of what day it falls on, as a national holiday.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_Day

Toward the end of the last decade of the nineteenth century, Labor organisations were lobbying for Labor Day to be observed as an official state holiday in the USA. The first states to do so in 1887, were Oregon, Colorado, New York, Massachusetts, and New Jersey. In 1894, Congress passed the law that made Labor Day an official national holiday.

Labor Day is celebrated in the USA and in Canada on the same day , though called Labour Day due to the differences between American and British English , it is also celebrated in many other countries around the world , although the dates differ , it is mainly either the first Monday in September , or in May , or the 1^st May itself . While May Day has its roots in ancient celebrations of the coming of summer and fertility rites and May 1^st is associated with being a day to celebrate workers, Labor Day is a day that officially ends the summer season, but all of these celebrations have come to have links to celebrating the achievements of work and the working class.


Valerie Hedges

Be happy now , not later

Today my Open University books arrived for the coming academic year , I am studying for a BA Hons Social Sciences …So many people spending most of their time at work or looking for work, or running a home business feel that they do not get nearly enough time to do what they want to do. Many people feel and even experience depression as a result, that they do not have the means to have leisure time and activities such as hobbies and so they work harder because of this pressure.

There is never a perfect time to do the things you want to do and fulfil ambitions, there will always be something that makes it not quite the right time, finances, family circumstances etc. However, what about the things you have achieved so far? Was it ever a good time? If you’re a parent, then was it a good time to have a baby? Was it a good time to get married? A good time to start a relationship? A good time to buy a house?

When we have to, we make things work. There’s never a perfect time so do it anyway.

It can be easier Than You Think

Many of the dreams we have are much easier to fulfil than we might initially think. For example, if you want to travel then you don’t necessarily need to spend a fortune or take a year off work.

How about identifying places a little nearer that you can travel to?  Want a better home? You don’t need to spend millions – just empty out your property of things you don’t need and clear out clutter, do a bit of decorating and you will be surprised what a difference small changes can make!

Do you want to do a course but are put off by the cost? While adult education has had massive budget cuts, there are still available online, several reputable sources of free online courses, including Open Learn from the Open University and Vision2learn, with whom I gained an Equality and Diversity level 2 qualification. Just Google free online courses, for more opportunities.

maybe you have a craft or hobby such as writing and want to start a business, but for now you must stay in your current job? why not do what you enjoy doing at weekends and then when you retire or are in a better financial situation, you can turn that craft or hobby into a new career. 

Rethink your time

Right now, your job, your business or looking for a job or starting a business … or studying, takes up most of your time. You will be spending 10 hours at least doing these, then add in chores, laundry, cooking, cleaning, shopping etc, plus you spend 8 hours sleeping too, so that means you have around 4 hours max to yourself.

Your job is only likely to get more stressful, starting a business of your own can easily become a 24/7 job and looking for a job IS a job, it must be the priority as you meet the demands of social security, welfare and work programme obligations and deal with the issues that arise when you are unemployed such as debts, money and housing issues ...

As most of us try to gain a better income, we are forced to take on more responsibilities and this ends up meaning we work longer hours and feel more stressed and more burned out at the end of the day.

The problem is that many of us don’t realize we have a choice. We assume that the only way to feel like we’re accomplishing something is to work harder, achieve something or achieve more

The Alternative

There IS an alternative: how about you aim to make your day as easy as possible and in the meantime, you get your enjoyment and even extra income from a hobby?

Would you like to be a writer, to paint perhaps, or take photographs for an income, make and sell handmade cards or other crafts? Plan your day, do whatever the day job is that for now pays the bills, look for a job if you must, then with what time is left write and paint or whatever gives you enjoyment and satisfaction. One way to make more time is not to stay up into the early hours, at least I have never found this works, for me, but going to bed at a reasonable hour and getting up at a sensible time does work. If you then manage to sell some articles you have written, photographs you have taken or paintings or crafts, then you will be supplementing your income and maybe even beginning a new dream job.

Valerie Hartland

Be happy ..even though its Monday ...and a freebie from Amazon

So many people spending most of their time at work or looking for work, or running a home business feel that they do not get nearly enough time to do what they want to do. Many people feel and even experience depression as a result, that they do not have the means to have leisure time and activities such as hobbies and so they work harder because of this pressure.

There is never a perfect time to do the things you want to do and fulfil ambitions, there will always be something that makes it not quite the right time, finances, family circumstances etc. However, what about the things you have achieved so far? Was it ever a good time? If you’re a parent, then was it a good time to have a baby? Was it a good time to get married? A good time to start a relationship? A good time to buy a house?

When we have to, we make things work. There’s never a perfect time so do it anyway.

It can be easier Than You Think

Many of the dreams we have are much easier to fulfil than we might initially think. For example, if you want to travel then you don’t necessarily need to spend a fortune or take a year off work.

How about identifying places a little nearer that you can travel to?  Want a better home? You don’t need to spend millions – just empty out your property of things you don’t need and clear out clutter, do a bit of decorating and you will be surprised what a difference small changes can make!

Do you want to do a course but are put off by the cost? While adult education has had massive budget cuts, there are still available online, several reputable sources of free online courses, including Open Learn from the Open University and Vision2learn, with whom I gained an Equality and Diversity level 2 qualification. Just Google free online courses, for more opportunities.

Maybe you have a craft or hobby such as writing and want to start a business, but for now you must stay in your current job? why not do what you enjoy doing at weekends and then when you retire or are in a better financial situation, you can turn that craft or hobby into a new career.