Source: Internet |
It's Labour Day which means a holiday Monday for those of us in Canada.
The origins of Labour Day can be traced back to April 15, 1872, and it was originally celebrated in the spring but it was moved to the fall after 1894. Even though our first Prime Minister, Sir John A. MacDonald is currently under scrutiny, we have him to thank for allowing trade unions to exist & for aiding the change from a 58 hour work week to a 54 hour work week. Thanks JA, you moved that work week into the right direction - now a 40 hour work week for most!
For many it is the last long weekend of the summer & the signal that on the Tuesday after Labour Day, school begins for many students & teachers, which can seem like a 58 hour week!
That is a very long working week! Are you doing anything special on Labour Day?
ReplyDeleteI cannot image those days of working 58 hours a week, 1 day off for a weekend - we have lots to thank the trade unions for. We did not do anything particularly special or fun but still feeling very grateful to have a home to tidy.
DeleteHappy Holiday! Hope you are enjoying the day!
ReplyDeleteThanks Karen, it was too humid to be outside, my garden is running wild with weeds, but I did make some headway in tidying up my scrapping stash.
DeleteHope you're enjoying your long weekend! School begins again tomorrow and I'm looking forward to time to read, and comment on, blogs and scrapbooking!
ReplyDeleteNothing too WOW for us on this weekend, trying to bring some order to the scrapping stash!
DeleteTomorrow my Bridge group of retired teachers will bring their hand bells to the Community Centre and ring them vigorously to celebrate not having to be in the classroom!
ReplyDeleteChris that sounds like a great tradition to have. There's a lot a miss about the first day of school, both as the student & the teacher.
DeleteThis is the first September in 17 years that I haven't been going back to work for the new term at school - it seems weird! Hope you had a good, long weekend!
ReplyDeleteThat must give you some strange feelings both of the joyful & sad kind all at once to not be returning to the school.
DeleteLong week-ends -in fact, week-ends- are something I always looked forward to. We have a lot to be grateful to unions for :)
ReplyDeleteAh yes weekends & I cannot wait for a time when everything doesn't have to be crammed into 2 days (lol).
DeleteI think farmer here would think that even 58 hours would be a doddle! He is out by 6am and rarely finished before 6pm even in the winter. He does take it a bit easier on a Sunday ...usually!!
ReplyDeleteIt was Labor Day here, too … but we were in Paris, France - where it wasn't a holiday & Robbie had to work. :(
ReplyDelete