When did the U.S. Celebrate the First Labor Day?

The first Labor Day holiday was on Tuesday, September 5, 1882 in New York City with the ideas from the Central Labor Union.  The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday one year later on September 5, 1883, just 128 years ago!

In 1884, the first Monday in September was chosen as the holiday, as originally suggested, and the Central Labor Union urged similar organizations in other cities to follow the example of New York and celebrate a “workingmen’s holiday” on that date. The idea grew with the increase in labor organizations, and in 1885 Labor Day was celebrated in many industrial centers of the country.