Government offices close for Labor Day as retailers stay open with sales

Labor Day began with 1882 NYC march, became federal law in 1894

Government offices, post offices, courts and schools are closed on Labor Day, while most big consumer-facing businesses are open and offering promotional sales to attract customers. The holiday, observed on the first Monday of September, dates to the late 19th century.

The first U.S. Labor Day celebration took place in New York City on Sept. 5, 1882. Roughly 10,000 workers marched in a parade organized by the Central Labor Union and the Knights of Labor.

A handful of cities and states began adopting laws recognizing Labor Day in the years that followed the 1882 march. The observance became a federal holiday in 1894, when President Grover Cleveland signed a congressional act establishing the first Monday of September as a legal holiday.

The march preceded Cleveland’s signature by more than a decade. Today, the holiday combines the day off many workers receive with the openness of most big consumer-facing businesses, which stay open and offer promotional sales to lure customers.