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Take the Labor Day trivia quiz to learn what the holiday is really about

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Warehouse workers managing inventory and logistics operations
Imágenes de jose carlos / Canva

It’s widely known as the unofficial end of summer, but exactly why do we celebrate Labor Day, anyway? It’s a day to tip our hats to the contributions of hardworking Americans — the people who build our roads, teach our kids, grow our food, and keep our communities together. 

Since it became a federal holiday in 1894, Labor Day falls on the first Monday of September every year. Whether your family celebrates with a backyard BBQ, a parade, or one last trip to the pool or beach, here are some fun facts to share with your kids about this holiday and the workers it honors.

Labor Day trivia quiz
1. Which U.S. president signed the Labor Day holiday into law?
Answer: B) Grover Cleveland. Labor Day was officially established and signed into law by President Grover Cleveland on June 28, 1894 to recognize the contributions of American workers. 
2. Before it became a federal holiday, Labor Day was first celebrated with a parade by workers to show their unity and desire for fair working conditions. In what major city did the first Labor Day parade take place?
Answer: A) New York City. Labor Day was celebrated for the first time with a parade in New York City on September 5, 1882.
3. What country celebrates Labor Day on the same date as the U.S.?
Answer: C) Canada. Canada is the only other major country that observes the holiday on the first Monday in September (fun fact: they spell it “Labour Day”!).
4. In the U.S. Labor Day is always in September, but most of the world celebrates labor and workers during which month?
Answer: D) May. Most of the world celebrates workers on May 1 instead. International Workers' Day, or May Day, is a public holiday in dozens of countries across Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America. 
5. In the 19th century Americans worked 12-hour shifts seven days per week just to survive. What was the most in-demand work at the time?
Answer: C) Mining and factory work. These jobs accepted workers of all ages, and some as young as six years old. Job site safety precautions were not as good as they are today to protect workers.
6. What was the ideal number of daily working hours that the labor movement fought hard to achieve?
Answer: B) 8 hours. Around the turn of the 20th century, a popular movement for the eight-hour work day in the U.S. began to take hold. At least 50 years earlier, working Americans were pushing for a 10-hour day. But by the 1880s, many Americans called for an even shorter workday of 8 hours.
7. What is the traditional (and outdated!) fashion rule that many people used to follow after Labor Day?
Answer: A) No wearing white clothing. This dated fashion rule and its origins date to the late 1800s of the Gilded Age. During the summer months, the wealthy often left the sweltering city for their cooler vacation homes. There, white clothing reigned supreme—not just for its elegance but also for its practicality in keeping the wearer cool.

Dhalya Wagner is a digital producer and staff writer at ParentsTogether. She lives in New York with her husband and two daughters, and loves reading mysteries, taking beach vacations, and cooking a good meal for her family.

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