Most Americans (54%) now celebrate Labor Day as the unofficial end of summer. A Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 33% say they take the day to celebrate the contributions of workers in society. Twelve percent (12%) are not sure.

While most associate the holiday with the end to summer, 55% also have at least a somewhat favorable opinion of labor unions. That figure includes 19% with a Very Favorable opinion. Thirty-five percent (35%) hold a negative view.

Whatever the celebration, 45% will spend some time this weekend cooking out with family and friends. Younger adults are more likely to enjoy a barbeque than their elders.

Overall, only seven percent (7%) will attend a Labor Day parade.

Twenty percent (20%) of Americans consider Labor Day one of the nation’s most important holidays. Seventeen percent (17%) say it’s one of the least important, and 61% believe it’s somewhere in between.

The first Labor Day was observed on September 5, 1882, and organized by the Central Labor Union in New York City as a way to honor the achievements and contributions of the American worker. The holiday did not become a federal holiday until 1894 when President Grover Cleveland signed into law legislation establishing the first Monday in September as Labor Day.

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