Sandy Dumont, a Norfolk image consultant, said the tradition came from the fear of standing out in the waning light of winter. She said it's OK to keep on the whites, though perhaps not through December. When in doubt, "stand back, look in the mirror and use your judgment." But just "make sure you have dramatic accessories to carry it off."

HOW IT'S OBSERVED
Usually with picnics, not parades. "Instead of a day to celebrate work and workers, it's become a day to celebrate not working," said Gary Chaison, a professor of industrial relations at Clark University at Worcester, Mass. Chaison attributes that to a decline in union membership and influence.

Alton Glass, president of United Steelworkers Local 8888, plans to mix business with pleasure Monday. First, he'll attend a breakfast sponsored by the AFL-CIO's Peninsula Central Labor Council to honor the holiday's roots. Then, he'll take it easy with his wife, maybe go shopping. Stores often get a boost in sales on Labor Day, especially if it's hot or rainy, said Karen Winters, the marketing director for MacArthur Center in downtown Norfolk.

HOW IT GOT STARTED
Most historians place the first Labor Day celebration in New York City in 1882. Who had the idea is up for debate. It's one of two similarly named activists: Peter McGuire, co-founder of the American Federation of Labor, or Matthew Maguire, secretary of the Central Labor Union.

It was meant to commemorate worker gains, such as the move toward the eight-hour workday, said Leon Fink, a history professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago. It was signed into law as a national holiday in 1894 by Grover Cleveland, perhaps for political reasons. Cleveland had broken a worker strike against the Pullman railroad-car company and might have wanted to make amends with labor in an election year.

Source: PilotOnline.com
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