For many, the Labor Day holiday marks the unofficial end of the summer season. The days and nights tend to turn cooler, and in many states, the heat and humidity of July and August begin to dissipate.
In 2024, Labor Day falls on Monday, September 2. Americans tend to mark the extended three-day weekend with time off spent alongside family and friends at barbecues and beaches, partaking in various end-of-summer festivities.
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Labor Day started out as a holiday commemorating the progress of workers’ rights. Nowadays, Americans think of it as a time of travel and celebration to mark the end of the summer season.
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What’s open on Labor Day?
Labor Day is a major public holiday, and though many workers have the day off, most major businesses remain open.
Major retail chains
Labor Day typically marks the period when students return to school, and some retail stores are likely to be open with back-to-school offers on clothes, bags, and laptops. Most major retailers, including Target (TGT) , Best Buy (BBY) , Home Depot (HD) , and Lowe’s (LOW) , are also open.
Major grocery chains
Most large grocery chains, including Walmart (WMT) , Kroger (KR) , and Trader Joe’s, are open on Labor Day and operating at normal hours.
Fast-food and convenience store chains
Fast-food stores including McDonald’s (MCD) , Wendy’s (WEN) , Starbucks (SBUX) , Subway, and Popeye’s will be open. Convenience stores like 7-Eleven will also be open. CVS (CVS) stores will be open, though pharmacy services are likely to be suspended.
Major movie theater chains
For those wanting to catch up on summer films, movie theater operators such as AMC (AMC) , Regal, Cinemark (CNK) , and the Alamo Drafthouse will also open their outlets for viewing.
National parks
For celebrants with outdoor recreation in mind, National parks will be open.
Small and local businesses
Small and locally owned businesses may or may not be open on Labor Day, and many do not update their hours on Google Maps, so it’s always best to check in-person or by phone with your local grocer, retailer, and small businesses for their hours of operation.
What’s closed on Labor Day?
The New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq stock market, which together compose the bulk of the U.S. equity market, will be closed. Financial markets, including those for bonds and commodities, will also be closed.
Foreign-exchange trading, however, will be open.
Banks, most government offices, schools, and many businesses are closed for the Labor Day holiday. Postal offices will be closed, and there will be no mail delivery. Public libraries will be closed, but many will also be closed on Saturday for the long weekend.
Delivery services companies such as UPS (UPS) and FedEx (FDX) will not ship (though certain locations will be open for service), but Amazon (AMZN) will deliver for certain products only.
Among large retailers, Costco (COST) will be closed.
History of Labor Day
While many countries commemorate their Day of Labor on May 1, the U.S. celebrates Labor Day on the first Monday in September. The holiday traces its origins to the late 19th century, as America and the rest of the world emerged from the throes of the Industrial Revolution, and work shifted away from agriculture and toward manufacturing for much of the working class.
The labor movement at this time pushed for better working conditions, higher wages, and reasonable working hours.
Labor activists wanted to commemorate workers and the labor movement. The first Labor Day parade took place in New York City on Sept. 5, 1882 (a Tuesday), and it was organized by the Central Labor Union, one of the earliest trade unions formed in 1867.
Two years later, in 1894, President Grover Cleveland signed a law making the first Monday in September of each year a national holiday to commemorate Labor Day. Labor Day still serves as a reminder of the contributions of workers and their fight for fair labor standards, such as the 8-hour workday and the end of child labor.
While New York City still hosts a Labor Day parade, the parade itself usually takes place on the Saturday following Labor Day. In 2024, the Labor Day parade will take place on Sept. 7.
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Millions of Americans will likely take to the roads on one last summer road trip.
Labor Day & travel: Info from AAA
The American Automobile Association (better known as AAA) forecasts many Americans to take to the road this Labor Day holiday, following what has been a record-breaking summer, to mark a final trip of this season in 2024 — whether it be to the beach, to the mountains, or to other towns and cities. Travel abroad is also likely to pick up.
Driving is expected to be heavy on the afternoons and evening hours of Thursday and Friday before Labor Day, and travelers returning to their homes on the afternoons of Sunday and Labor Day could see heavy traffic.
The top 5 Labor Day destinations in the U.S. are Seattle, Orlando, Anchorage, New York, and Boston, while the top 5 international spots are Vancouver, Rome, London, Paris, and Dublin.
AAA says that travelers taking road trips should expect to pay less for gas, with national prices averaging at around $3.50 a gallon in recent weeks, compared to $3.81 during the Labor Day weekend in 2023.
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