Where Labour Day comes from
Labour Day honours workers and the labour movement. In Canada its roots are usually traced to the Nine-Hour Movement of the 1870s, when Toronto printers and other tradespeople pressed for shorter working days, and Parliament made Labour Day an official national holiday in 1894. The United States observes Labor Day on the same Monday.
How the date is set
Labour Day is the first Monday of September. Count the Mondays in the month and take the first: that puts it between September 1 and September 7. Much of the rest of the world marks workers on May 1, International Workers’ Day, but Canada and the United States chose a September date. The countdown ends at the first moment of that Monday on your device’s clock.
The end of summer
For many families Labour Day is the last long weekend of summer. Cottages are closed up, last camping trips are taken, and school routines begin around this time in many parts of Canada. In Alberta it is one of the general holidays, and the next one is Thanksgiving in October.
Parades, picnics and football
Many unions and communities mark the day with parades and picnics. The long weekend is also a traditional time for football: the Canadian Football League has played games over Labour Day weekend for many years. After the weekend, regular routines return, which is why a countdown to Labour Day doubles as a countdown to the end of the summer holidays for many households. If your family has children in school, it also shows how long is left to buy supplies and settle bedtimes before the first morning back.
Getting ready
A countdown helps with back-to-school planning. The countdown timer can time a morning routine, the study stopwatch tracks homework, and the clock keeps the day on schedule. You can embed the countdown on a school or club page. Canada Day comes about two months earlier, and Canadian Thanksgiving about five or six weeks after Labour Day.
More countdowns
Need a different date? Use the countdown to any date or count up with time since a date.
Questions
What date is Labour Day this year?
Labour Day is the first Monday of September, so it is always between September 1 and September 7. The countdown above always shows the next one, so it is right for the current year without you looking anything up.
Is Labour Day a statutory holiday in Alberta?
Yes. Labour Day is one of Alberta’s general holidays, and it is observed across Canada. How it applies to you depends on your job and employer, so check the rules for your own workplace.
Why is Labour Day in September?
Canada’s Labour Day grew out of workers’ campaigns in the 1870s, and Parliament set it on the first Monday of September in 1894. Many other countries mark workers on May 1 instead, so the date differs around the world.
Do schools start before or after Labour Day?
It depends on the province and the school board. Many start just before or just after the holiday, so check your own board’s calendar. The countdown can help you plan around whichever date applies to you.