# Where is the Parade By:: [[Ross Jackson]] 2023-09-04 Labor Day was formally recognized in the United States as a federal holiday in 1894. Historically, there were Labor Day parades and civic events. We have Veteran’s Day, Memorial Day, and Independence Day events. Are those civic celebrations antiquated? Yes. But they are still part of our society. It is potentially revealing that the civic celebration associated with Labor Day has almost entirely vanished. It would be too easy to say this results from a decline in blue-collar manufacturing jobs in the United States. This likely contributes to the social devaluation of Labor Day but isn’t likely the cause. Labor Day isn’t Manufacturing Day. Labor Day is about those forced and constrained by the capitalist mode of production to sell their labor. This includes the significant portion of the US economy engaged in the service industry. It is interesting to consider if there would be enough public support to create Labor Day today if it didn’t already exist. Evidence suggests that even as people enjoy having a day off, there wouldn’t be much support or interest in it becoming a federal holiday. One could easily see that some would decry the day as Un-American. As white-collar professionals go out to restaurants and cafes and are being served by those in the service industry, try not to choke on the irony that is Labor Day in the United States. #### Related Items [[Work]] [[American]] [[Value]] [[Society]] [[Capitalism]] [[Celebration]]