It’s Labor Day!
The first Monday in September is Labor Day in the USA. Unlike many US holidays, it is a celebration without rituals – except for shopping and barbecuing. For most of us, it marks the last weekend of summer holidays and the start of the school year.
Ritual – n., an established form for a ceremony or observance
Founder – n., someone who takes the first steps in building something
Envision – v., to imagine, to picture to oneself
Means – n., things that are useful or help to achieve a desired end
Unify – v., to make different things into one unit
Reduction – n., to make something smaller, to decrease
Recall – v., to remember
Struggle – n, the act of working hard or fighting for something
Maypole — n., a tall pole decorated with flowers and ribbons
The holiday’s founders in the late 19th century envisioned something very different from what the day has become. The founders were looking for two things: a means of unifying union workers and a reduction in work time.
- If you’re living in the USA, don’t confuse this day with May 1st, (May Day), which is International Workers’ Day.
This day is celebrated in over 160 countries to recall the struggles and achievements of the labor movement.
In France, people carry and give lilies-of-the-valley. Many countries, such as Italy and Nicaragua, celebrate with dances around a Maypole.
In America, Labor Day is less political and more about fun.
See you in class very soon! And:
