When is Labor Day 2012?

When is Labor Day 2012? Here is a chart of the exact dates for 2012–2015.

When did Labor Day start? Why is it celebrated? Find out from the Almanac!

Traditionally, Labor Day consists of barbecues, camping, and preparing for the new school year. Check out some of the Almanac's great nature links to guide you in your outdoor activities, including fishing, camping, and weather watching.

Then, get that grill sizzling with some of our grilling tips and recipes to help you celebrate!

Labor Day Dates

Labor Day History

Always the first Monday in September, Labor Day was the idea of Peter J. Maguire (although recent research has shown that it might have been his brother Matthew's idea), a labor union leader who in 1882 proposed a celebration honoring the American worker. The date chosen was simply "convenient," according to Maguire, because it was midway between the Fourth of July and Thanksgiving. Although the day's focus on organized labor has diminished over the years, the legal holiday still marks the end of summer and the traditional time for children to return to school.