Good morning and welcome to Kid News. I'm Kim. Today is Monday, September 1st, 2025. Labor Day in the U.S. and also the unofficial end of summer.

Weather permitting, that probably means you'll be squeezing in a little last minute beach or pool time and maybe a barbecue.

But do you know the history of the holiday and why today is a day off for many people?

Labor means work and Labor Day celebrates all the workers who've helped the country grow and prosper.

No one's exactly sure where the idea started, but the consensus is that it began with a peaceful

protest in New York City over poor working conditions.

The demonstration was held on September 5, 1882, and involved all types of workers from seamstresses

to bricklayers.

Many waving banners that read Labor built this republic and labor shall rule it. The movement took hold.

More cities followed New York's lead and in June 1894, President Grover Cleveland signed a bill

into law, making Labor Day a national holiday. These days, Labor Day is always celebrated on the first Monday in September.

Schools are closed and many parents don't have to work.

Some other interesting tidbits about the holiday, Labor Day is said to be the third most popular day in the United States for grilling.

Number one is the 4th of July, and number two is Memorial Day.

Labor Day is considered the end of hot dog season and the beginning of football season.

The first official game is usually held the Thursday after the holiday.

And this year features the Philadelphia Eagles hosting the Dallas Cowboys.

Around 157 million people have jobs and work in the United States.

Four million of them are school teachers. Many other countries celebrate Labor Day on May 1st.

It's the same day as May Day and is called International Workers Day.

Whatever you're doing today, enjoy it and stay safe.

And we'll see you back here for our regular roundup of kid news tomorrow morning.

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