For the past 125 years, Americans have celebrated Labor Day on the first Monday in September marking the unofficial end of summer. Students will reluctantly return to school, and stores will have Labor Day sales unloading grills, appliances, electronics, and more. Many families will travel to their favorite weekend getaway destinations to have one last cookout before the weather gets cold.

1. In September of 1882, unions in New York City decided to have a parade to celebrate their members being in unions and to show support for all unions. At least 20,000 people showed up at the event. The two men credited with organizing the event were Matthew Maguire, a machinist, and Peter McGuire, a carpenter. Other regions would soon follow suit and by 1887 Oregon, Massachusetts, Colorado, New York, and New Jersey all made Labor day a state holiday.

2. Grover Cleveland signed a law making Labor Day a national holiday in 1894 after most states had already passed their own laws establishing a Labor Day holiday.

3. Labor Day is the unofficial end of hot dog season, the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council say between Memorial Day and Labor Day Americans will eat 7 billion hot dogs.

4. The tradition of not being allowed to wear white after Labor Day originated in the Victorian era where it was considered unfashionable to wear white after the end of summer.

5. On May 4, 1886, a bomb exploded in Chicago’s Haymarket square which led to violence killing 7 police officers and four others. The incident became known as The Haymaker Affair and led to May 1 being celebrated in most nations as Workers Day. The U.S. government would later adopt New York’s unions’ idea of making Labor Day the first Monday in September.

6. Labor Day is considered the unofficial NFL season kickoff as the NFL plays the opening game of the season 99.44% of the time the first Thursday after Labor Day.

7. The first Waffle House opened on Labor Day. In 1955 in Avondale Estates, Georgia, the very first Waffle House was open for business.

8. Americans worked 12 hours a day for 7 days a week during the 19th century.

9. The Adamson Act was passed on September 3, 1916, establishing the 8-hour workday.

10. The Labor Day parade in New York City takes place 20 blocks north of the original parade in 1882.

11. The holiday honors almost 160 million Americans in the workforce.

12. It’s the third-most-popular day of the year to host a cookout behind Independence Day and Memorial Day.

13. Canada also celebrates Labour Day on the first Monday in September

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