For many people, Labor Day means two things: a day off and the end of summer. It sounds good to me, but isn’t there more? Labor Day is a day set aside to pay tribute to working men and women. It has been celebrated as a national holiday in the United States and Canada since 1894.
The first Labor Day parade occurred Sept. 5, 1882, in New York City. The workers’ unions chose the first Monday in September because it was halfway between Independence Day and Thanksgiving.
Today, Labor Day now carries less significance as a celebration of working people and more as the end of summer. Most schools, government offices and businesses are closed on Labor Day. It’s a great day for people to get in one last trip to the beach or have one last cookout before the weather starts to turn colder.
Every area of the states has many ways to celebrate Labor Day. Because Clay Aiken is living in New York City this year, I checked to see some of the fun things he might decide to do. (Of course, I don’t know he is in NYC this week-end!…lets assume!)
According to the nyctourist.com, a must see on Labor Day is the The Brooklyn West Indian Carnival. It is easily the largest parade in New York City, with an average annual attendance of over two million people. It is certainly more than a parade. At this fun event, you can expect live music, dancing, and exotic Caribbean cuisine.
It sounds like fun, but does it sound like something Clay would attend??
Maybe Clay would like a more relaxing way to spend Labor Day afternoon. Close to home is the Central Park Zoo. This NYC attraction displays some of the most exotic animals in the world, including snow leopards, polar bears, poisonous reptiles, and peguins.
A fascinating “only in NYC” idea: The Metropolitan Opera’s 2016 Summer HD Festival concludes on Labor Day with an outdoor screening of Bizet’s “Les Pêcheurs de Perles” — that’s “The Pearl Fishers at Lincoln Center Plaza. They have 3,100 free seats to watch this spectacular production with its live “divers” and sumptuous male duets for free on Monday night under the stars.
One of the traditions of Labor Day used to be the annual Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon. The star-studded variety show would last almost 24 hours. It entertained, informed and more importantly, raised funds for MDA.
In 2003, Clay Aiken was a guest on the MDA telethon. Clay sang “Bridge Over Troubled Water” and received glowing comments from Jerry Lewis. Jerry announced to the audience that Clay Aiken fans donated more than $30,000 when they learned that Clay would be on the show.
Whatever Clay decides to do this Labor Day, I hope he has a wonderful day.
Do you think we might be lucky enough to get a Periscope from him?
Well, maybe!!
I thought the following videos would fit in with summer events…
No, it wasn’t Labor Day, but it was still an exciting outdoor concert by Clay Aiken!
What are you doing to celebrate the holiday?
