In New Jersey, we commonly think of Labor Day as the end of the summer. In the late 1800s, the worker’s rights movement began with the slogan, eight hours of work, eight hours of rest and eight hours of what you will. Before the 40-hour work week was common, many laborers worked 100 or more hours each week.
Workers fought hard for labor laws and regulations that improved life. As improvements were made, several union leaders promoted the idea of a holiday to celebrate workers.
Recent research points to Matthew Maguire as the person who conceived of a Labor Day Holiday. Mr. Maguire was a union leader in the Paterson Local 344 of the Machinists and Blacksmiths Union. In 1886, before Labor Day was a national holiday, New York and Oregon passed state holidays.
This was followed by four other states in 1887 including New Jersey. The National Holiday was instituted in 1894 by President Grover Cleveland, who was born in New Jersey.
BBQs and picnics are a common part of the celebrations and have been since the early 1900s. How will you celebrate this year? Consider the bountiful harvest of Jersey tomatoes, sweet corn, local peaches, and cantaloupe, all in season and ready for you to enjoy.
For recipes that feature the bounty of the Garden State, check out Rutgers Cooperative Extension’s Healthy Recipes.
Written by, Kathleen Carozza, MA, RDN, FAND
