Before we get into how you’ll spend your Labor Day holiday, let’s visit about perceptions about this holiday. Most people think of Labor Day as the end of summer and often the true meaning of the holiday gets lost in the celebration of a long weekend.

This holiday was created to celebrate the efforts of countless American workers who were the fuel behind our country’s success as an industrial nation. In 1882, the holiday was first celebrated and in 1894 Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September a legal holiday. Why the first Monday? The workers’ unions chose this day because it was halfway between Independence Day and Thanksgiving.

Many people work on Labor Day, in fact fewer than 25% use the day to reflect on workers’ rights, and still fewer think about the history of worker protection. The following infographic provides some revealing thoughts about the Labor Day holiday.

Infographic via businesspundit.com

No matter how you will spend your Labor Day, spend a little time reflecting on the contributions the American worker has made and continues to make. The American labor force is what makes our country’s economic engine run.