A well-earned day off from work; a time for women to pack away all white clothes and shoes; an opportunity to picnic with neighbors you rarely see…why is it that we’ve come to celebrate Labor Day?

Created from the labor movement and organizations in the late 1800’s, one original supporter of Labor Day suggested it should be tribute to those "who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold."  In 1894, President Grover Cleveland declared the first Monday of September would be celebrated as Labor Day – an annual national tribute acknowledging the enormous contributions of the American worker towards making our country one of the strongest, highest producing and most prosperous in the world.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2009), here are some of the professions we will celebrate on Labor Day:

Firefighters: 258,000
Hairdressers, hairstylists and cosmetologists: 718,000
Chefs and head cooks: 281,000
Musicians, singers and related workers: 179,000
Bakers: 183,000
Taxi drivers and chauffeurs: 286,000
Farmers and ranchers: 825,000
Pharmacists: 232,000
Teachers: 6.5 million

So enjoy your day off from work…you’ve earned it.