Americans typically celebrate Labor Day as the end of the summer, but it was originally started as a holiday for workers.

Some ten-thousand workers gathered in New York City for a parade back on September 5th, 1882, which was likely the first observance of Labor Day. That celebration sparked others and by 1894, over half the states were holding their own Labor Day festivities. Congress passed legislation that year and President Grover Cleveland signed a bill to designate the first Monday in September as Labor Day. The holiday pays tribute to the social and economic achievements of American workers.

Labor Day typically marks the start of school for many American children, though the start of the new year varies throughout the country.

Labor Day also is a huge day for retail sales. Some companies claim that Labor Day is the second-largest sales day of the year only to Black Friday, traditionally the Friday after Thanksgiving. Labor Day is also considered the last day of the year where it’s fashionable to wear white.

Some sports center around Labor Day weekend as well, as the college football season typically begins while the NFL season starts the Thursday after Labor Day. The U.S. Open Tennis tournament also uses Labor Day as the middle point of its annual event.