When is Labor Day 2024? What to know about holiday, what’s closed in Florida

Labor Day 2024 is almost here, which means a three-day weekend for most of the country.

Often considered the unofficial end of summer, the holiday's roots go back to the late 19th century and have nothing to do with summer but everything to do with workers.

"Recreation and amusement of the workers and their families" has been part of the holiday since its inception. But what even is Labor Day? And what are its origins?

Here's what will be closed in Florida on Labor Day, along with the holiday's history and when the best days to travel are.

When is Labor Day 2024? Is it a federal holiday?

Labor Day is the first Monday in September. This year, it falls on Monday, September 2. It is one of the 11 federal holidays in the U.S., which includes:

• New Year’s Day - Jan. 1

• Martin Luther King’s Birthday - 3rd Monday in January

• Washington’s Birthday - 3rd Monday in February

• Memorial Day - last Monday in May

• Juneteenth National Independence Day - June 19

• Independence Day - July 4

• Labor Day - 1st Monday in September

• Indigenous People's Day - 2nd Monday in October

• Veterans’ Day - Nov. 11

• Thanksgiving Day - 4th Thursday in November

• Christmas Day - Dec. 25

What is Labor Day? Why do we celebrate? See holiday's history

Labor Day is an annual celebration of the achievements of American workers, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

The holiday is rooted in the late nineteenth century, when labor activists pushed for a federal holiday to recognize contributions workers have made to America’s strength, prosperity, and well-being. Many Americans celebrate Labor Day with parades, picnics and parties.

In the proposal for a national holiday, it was suggested the day should be observed with a street parade to exhibit "the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations" of the community, followed by a festival for the recreation and amusement of the workers and their families, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

There is some debate over who the original founder of the holiday was, but the U.S. Labor Department points to two possible names: Peter J. McGuire and Matthew Maguire.

McGuire, who was the general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a co-founder of the American Federation of Labor, is recorded in some 1882 historical documents suggesting a "general holiday for the laboring classes."

In recent years, research has emerged pointing to Matthew Maguire, the secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Patterson, New Jersey, as the holiday's true founder.

Both men reportedly attended the nation's first Labor Day Parade in New York City. Regardless of origin, the day's intent remains to celebrate the hard-working people who make the country run every day.

What exactly is the white after Labor Day rule?

The rule states that after Labor Day, white should be retired from your wardrobe. Then once Memorial Day rolls around in May, the cycle restarts and the color is reintroduced.

Labor Day: Do you still have to stop wearing lighter colors?

However, the rule has been ignored by many over the years, either because it's too hot to switch to dark clothes so soon or they simply do not care. As world-renowned fashion magazine Vogue puts it, abstaining from wearing white after Labor Day is "outdated and irrelevant."

What is open or closed on Labor Day in Florida?

Since it is a nationally recognized holiday, government offices are closed, including the US Postal Service. Banks are closed as well.

However, most restaurants, fast food establishments and grocery stores are open. So you can still squeeze in a Publix run if you need to.

Best — and worst — days to fly on Labor Day weekend

Americans have less than a month to lock down their travel plans for their upcoming three day weekend but how should they go about it?

Here are the best and worst days to fly on Labor Day weekend, according to NerdWallet.com. It should be noted that these days based on an average from the past four years and are listed in order from most to least crowded days of the week surrounding Labor Day.

1. Friday before Labor Day (most crowded)

2. Thursday before

3. Labor Day Monday

4. Sunday after

5. Friday after

6. Monday after

7. Monday before

8. Thursday after

9. Tuesday after

10. Wednesday before

11. Sunday before

12. Saturday before

13. Wednesday after

14. Tuesday before

15. Saturday after (least crowded)

Contributing reporting: Brandon Girod, Pensacola News Journal

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Labor Day 2024: What's open and closed in Florida, holiday's origins