Labor Day is one of the most important public holidays in the United States. It honors the immense contributions that hardworking Americans have made to the prosperity of the nation.
In commemoration of this great annual occasion, we have compiled a bunch of famous and original Labor Day quotes for you. Feast your eyes on these quotes and share them with friends, co-workers and family as you kick back, celebrate and enjoy this well-earned day off.
Famous Labor Day Quotes
- Nothing will work unless you do. Maya Angelou
- Dare to be honest and fear no labor. Robert Burns
- I learned the value of hard work by working hard. Margaret Mead
- The end of labor is to gain leisure. Aristotle
- Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work. Aristotle
- All happiness depends on courage and work.
- Take rest. A field that has rested gives a bountiful crop. Ovid
- Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. Thomas Edison
- It is labor indeed that puts the difference on everything. John Locke
- I like work: it fascinates me. I can sit and look at it for hours.
- Labor Day is devoted to no man, living or dead, to no sect, race or nation. Samuel Gompers
- If all the cars in the United States were placed end to end, it would probably be Labor Day Weekend. Doug Larson
- Labor Day is seen as a day of rest for many hardworking Americans. James P. Hoffa
- As we celebrate Labor Day, we honor the men and women who fought tirelessly for workers’ rights, which are so critical to our strong and successful labor force. Elizabeth Esty
- Each year, Labor Day gives us an opportunity to recognize the invaluable contributions that working men and women make to our nation, our economy and our collective prosperity. It gives us a chance to show gratitude for workers’ grit, dedication, ingenuity and strength, which define our nation’s character. Thomas E. Perez
- Be steady and well-ordered in your life so that you can be fierce and original in your work.
- A man is not paid for having a head and hands, but for using them. Elbert Hubbard
- The fruit derived from labor is the sweetest of pleasures. Luc de Clapiers
- When you put a lot of hard work into one goal and you achieve it, that’s a really good feeling. Derek Jeter
- Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration. The rest of us just get up and go to work. Stephen King
- The miracle is not that we do this work, but that we are happy to do it. Mother Teresa
- Find something you love to do, and you’ll never have to work a day in your life. Harvey Mackay
- Genius begins great works. Labor alone finishes them. Joseph Joubert
- All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity. Martin Luther King, Jr.
- No human masterpiece has been created without great labor. Andre Gide
- Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life. Confucius
- Without labor, nothing prospers. Sophocles
- My grandfather once told me there were two kinds of people: those who do the work and those who take the credit. He told me to be in the first group; there was much less competition. Indira Gandhi
- Without ambition one starts nothing. Without work one finishes nothing. The prize will not be sent to you. You have to win it. Ralph Waldo Emerson
- Work is no disgrace; the disgrace is idleness. Greek proverb
- Before the reward there must be labor. You plant before you harvest. You sow in tears before you reap joy. Ralph Ransom
- The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others. Mahatma Gandhi
- Nothing ever comes to one that is worth having except as a result of hard work. Booker T. Washington
- For working people and union members, Labor Day stands for something special and profound. It’s a day to honor the deep commitment each of us has to serve the children we teach, the families we heal, and the communities we love. Randi Weingarten
“Happy Labor Day” Quotes
- As we celebrate this holiday, let’s not forget those who made it possible, the men and women of yesteryear who though names now forgotten made genuine sacrifices, in some cases even their lives, in order to make America great.
- One thing that unifies all Americans, regardless of race, ethnicity or origin, is our commitment to building this nation through our sweat and toil, and this special day was created to acknowledge our worthy accomplishment, so let’s cast aside all prejudices and embrace each other in the spirit of Labor Day, the spirit of recognizing and appreciating our fellow worker as a reflection of ourselves.
- Many of our fellow laborers, indeed some of the hardest working ones, don’t have the benefit of belonging to a union to have their collective voices heard, just as were many of the people who established Labor Day in the first place, but know that we, your fellow brothers on the grind, know your sufferings, feel you pains and want to acknowledge you on this day set aside for us all.
- Please take this Labor Day to get in a last few moments of joy and unrepentant freedom before the new work season begins!
- The summer has ended and all the joy that comes with it, so now it’s time for us to laser focus on productivity and being the best employees we can until our next big break comes at Christmas.
- Not every holiday is worthy of its own parade, but Labor Day definitely is. We need to go out, have fun and celebrate our accomplishments as the infrastructure that holds America, the most exceptional nation on earth, together.
- Happy Labor Day to all of my fellow co-workers! Some of you may use today to get some extra hours of rest, but I’m going to use it to get my shopping on!
- Gone is the summertime, with its beautiful sunlit days and carefree vacations, but nature has something better in store for us – good old fashioned male rivalry in the form of football. Happy Labor Day! Let the NFL begin!
- The laborers of America put the us in USA. Happy Labor Day to you all!
- Labor Day serves as a reminder to all employees that we’re not the first generation of Americans to hate our bosses.
- The achievements of American workers can not only be measured in economics but also in their overall social contribution to the greatest nation on earth. Workers labor not only for their families and communities but also for the upkeep of the entire country, and without their efforts life as we know it would disintegrate.
- Today, let’s remember our forefathers who saw the importance of having a day off to chill, shop and barbeque. Happy Labor Day!
- I’m privileged to work for a company who recognizes the contribution of its workers and understands our need for time off. So my sincere happy Labor Day wishes extend to you, my employer, also.
- I’ll be honest and say I don’t know much about Labor Day, but any extra day off from work is a cause for celebration. Happy Labor Day!
- I’m glad I got to spend this Labor Day in the relished company of my family and friends, and I look forward to seeing you all again come Christmastime.
- Let’s take the occasion of this Labor Day to cook, drink and be merry because come tomorrow our toils begin anew.
- There is perhaps no better holiday whose origin exemplifies the spirit of America than Labor Day. At its roots, Labor Day symbolizes the vein through which the timeline of this country flows and the belief that we can accomplish more as a collective than we can as individuals.
- Adult life can be cruel, but occasionally it gives us breaks, like Labor Day.
- This Labor Day, let’s turn off the TV, the computer, the smartphones and just enjoy each other’s company. During this time that we usually spend with co-workers, let’s instead give unequivocally to our families and close friends, because by tomorrow we’re going right back to the norm anyway.
- I don’t know what to celebrate more, the day off from work or the fact that the kids are about to return to school. Happy Labor Day!
- On this Labor Day, where many of us are granted the day off and our place of business closes its doors, let’s take time to recognize the most important laborers of all – those working in hospitals, law enforcement and other essential services – who if they all took a consensual day off, would put many lives at risk.
- Our big bosses, who sit in unseen offices in the sky, aren’t the reason our companies are successful – we are. Happy Labor Day!
- I always find it ironic how the one day of the year set aside for masses of employees not to work during their regular hours is rather called Labor Day.
Labor Day in various countries
Labor Day in Australia
Unlike other countries, Labor Day in Australia isn’t held universally on one fixed date, but instead the date of observance of this day varies, from March all the way ‘til October, depending on what part of the country you’re in. However, like other countries, the Australian practice of Labor Day has its foundations in workers striking in search of more humane working conditions or more specifically an eight-hour work day based on the rationale that a day should be split evenly between work, recreation and rest. In some parts of Australia, Labor Day is known as May Day (as it is referred to in the UK and other nations), and on the island state of Tasmania it is called “Eight-Hour Day”. As with the general international observance of Labor Day, in Australia this holiday is set aside to remember the past struggles of common workers which have paved the way for the fairer working conditions many of us experience today, and it is also marked by public events, including parades.
Labor Day in New Zealand
Unlike other nations where Labor Day tends to be observed in early May or September, in New Zealand it is observed on the fourth Monday in October, meaning that it basically comes at the end of the month. New Zealand’s struggles for an eight-hour work day dates all the way back to 1840, with the first Labor Day being held in 1890 with a parade to commemorate the success of these endeavors; the holiday becoming an official, government backed practice in 1900, and due to its relatively progressive labor movement New Zealand became known as a “working man’s paradise” at the time. Labor Day was also the first non-traditional holiday established in New Zealand. Parades serve as public acknowledgements of New Zealand’s Labor Day, but more significantly it serves as a holiday where many workers, including government employees, get to stay home and relax as opposed to report to the office. Although the establishment of New Zealand’s Labor Day has undoubtedly been influenced by Chicago’s “Haymaker affair” (a famous labor protest in the United States) and other incidences that occurred outside the country, its origins can actually be traced back to an individual carpenter, Samuel Parnell, as opposed to some type of mass, organized labor movement. Parnell is widely credited as the initiator of the eight-hour working day.
Labor Day in the United Kingdom
Labor Day in the United Kingdom traces its origins back to the “Haymarket affair”, a US-based labor protest held in 1886 that turned violent yet spurred many effective labor movements throughout the world. In the UK, Labor Day is observed on May 1st and is known as “International Workers’ Day”. It was founded by trade unions over a century ago and is an occasion to recognize working class people as well as those who have been injured or even died at the workplace. In modern times, as with the free speech nature of the United Kingdom, some organizations have used International Workers’ Day as occasion to hold protests, in some cases even violent ones, that may be more politically than labor-oriented, although the day is more known for peaceful demonstrations held by labor unions. Labor Day itself, though dear to labor unions, is not a government mandated holiday in the UK, with that distinction instead being held by May Day, which happens to share the same date with International Workers’ Day. What is peculiar about Labor/May Day is that if May 1st doesn’t fall on a Monday then the actual “bank holiday”, when workers get the day off, will be held on the first Monday of the month.
Labor Day in India
International Labor (or Workers) Day in India is also known as “Antarrashtriya Shramik Diwas” or other names depending on what part of the country you’re referring to. It is a public holiday held annually on May 1st, thus coinciding with the universal practice of May Day. International Labor Day was actually inspired by the labor movement in the United States, as it was on this day in 1886 American labor unions went on strike in demand of 8-hour work days, with the holiday being established to acknowledge the past and present contributions of laborers and working class employees. Although the first Labor Day in India was held in 1923, the establishment of a standard 8-hour work day didn’t manifest until about 1950, around the same time India had become independent from British rule, as historically the labor movement in India had undertones of anti-colonialism. In its modern manifestation, Labor Day in India is celebrated by labor organizations holding public events such as parades, displays in support of improved economic and working conditions and activities for children that promote unity. In India May 1st is also when another holiday unrelated to labor, “Maharashtra Day”, is observed.
Labor Day in Canada
Unlike most countries in which the Labor Day is observed, in Canada it is held annually on the first Monday of September. Canada’s southern neighbor, the United States, also practices Labor Day on this day, though it seems that the foundation of the holiday in Canada predates and in fact even influenced its establishment in America. However, both nations ratified the observance of Labor Day in 1894. In the spirit that led to Labor Day becoming an international phenomenon, Canada’s own was founded in the efforts of labor unions against a repressive system that outlawed their organization. Labor Day being strategically placed on the first Monday of September allows for an extended three-day weekend, which many employees and their families, since children also return to school around this time, use as an opportunity to unofficially end summer. Some ways in which they do so is by engaging in public celebrations – like a picnic or fireworks display – or taking an excursion. Other ways in which Labor Day is publicly acknowledged is via parades, nationally-televised football games, and of course labor organizations themselves using the opportunity to advance their causes politically.
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