The very first Labor Day parade took place in New York City on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, organized by the Central Labor Union. Labor Day was first celebrated as a national holiday on the first Monday of September in 1894, although by then 23 states (beginning with Oregon in 1887) had already made it a holiday in their state.
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To learn more about the history of the holiday, you can visit the U.S. Department of Labor's webpage here, read about what probably was behind President Grover Cleveland's support for the national holiday in 1894 here, and watch the TED-Ed video below.
[Why do Americans and Canadians celebrate Labor Day? - Kenneth C. Davis]
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