How many days until Labor Day? The live countdown above tracks the time to the next one, on Monday, September 6, 2027. Labor Day is a federal holiday in the United States that honors the contributions of American workers, and for most people it also means a three-day weekend and the unofficial end of summer.
How the date is determined
Labor Day is always the first Monday in September, so it falls somewhere between September 1 and September 7. Because it is tied to a weekday rather than a fixed date, the holiday always creates a long weekend. Canada observes Labour Day on the same Monday.
A short history
The first Labor Day parade was held in New York City on September 5, 1882, organized by the Central Labor Union. Thousands of workers marched, giving up a day’s pay to do so. Who first proposed the holiday is still debated: credit is usually given to either Peter J. McGuire of the carpenters’ union or Matthew Maguire, a machinist and union secretary.
Oregon became the first state to make Labor Day a legal holiday in 1887, and many states followed. In 1894, in the aftermath of the violent Pullman railroad strike, Congress passed a law making the first Monday in September a national holiday, and President Grover Cleveland signed it.
Most other countries honor workers on May 1, International Workers’ Day, whose roots trace back to the 1886 Haymarket affair in Chicago. The US and Canada kept their September date.
What is open and closed
- Closed: federal offices, most state and local government offices, banks, and the stock markets.
- No regular mail: the US Postal Service does not deliver regular mail, though some private carriers offer limited service.
- Usually open: most retail stores, malls, restaurants and many grocery stores, often with holiday sales.
- Check ahead: public transit may run on a holiday schedule, and some schools start the school year right after the holiday.
Making the most of the long weekend
Plan early
Labor Day weekend is one of the busiest travel periods of the year. Book campsites, rentals and flights well ahead, and expect heavy traffic on the Friday afternoon and Monday evening.
Classic ways to celebrate
- Host a backyard cookout or end-of-summer barbecue.
- Catch a local parade, fair or fireworks show.
- Watch college football, whose season traditionally kicks off around this weekend.
- Take one last trip to the beach or lake before pools close for the season.
And yes, the old fashion rule about not wearing white after Labor Day is just a tradition; nobody enforces it anymore.
Counting down to the long weekend
With 313 days to go, you can share the countdown with friends who are planning the cookout, or add Labor Day to your calendar so you do not forget to request the Friday off. Next on the calendar: Columbus Day / Indigenous Peoples’ Day in October and Thanksgiving in November.