Growing up- we always went to the finger lakes in NY and did so many outdoor activities. Big end of summer bonfire/ cook out but steamed clams and back to school shopping. Anyone else have something fun/interesting?


49 comments
  1. When I was a kid my dad and most of my family worked retail jobs, so just another random day off school.

    These days for me it’s just another day I can sleep in and go to the gym without having to worry about stuff due at work later.

  2. We do the big BBQ, bonfire after dark and a movie on a screen. It’s our family end of summer bash. Honestly one of the best holidays.

  3. I go to work at my union job, usually an easy Monday, and enjoy getting paid 2.5x pay for 12 hours

  4. We usually go to the beach, but it’s pretty chilly already this year, so we’re going to do something closer to home.

  5. My brother’s birthday is around Labor Day so that… But mostly we lay around and relax

  6. For most of my life I have worked on Labor Day. Its one of the many paper holidays in the US. It dont mean anything to me.

  7. Family picnic on the lake. Burgers and Coneys and a dish to pass (someone better remember the salt potatoes).

    Also in the Finger Lakes, OP 🙂

  8. I was usually already back in school for at least 2 weeks, sometimes 3. We didn’t do anything special.

  9. Nothing. I never knew anyone who cared about Labor Day except that it’s a day off for some people, not everyone.

  10. We’re all moved out and on our own now, but growing up, we always went out to the lake for the day, or to a city park. Dad would grill up some burgers, hotdogs, and bratwurst. Mom would make her famous corn on the cob recipe, and cook up veggies and mashed potatoes to go with it.

    We’d all play a board game or two that night before going to bed. We’d also talk about what the day means and why America celebrates it.

    Just a good fun family day.

    Today, I still keep in touch with everyone via text, and grill up my own meal, and if I can I’ll go out to the lake near me for some fishing and swimming.

  11. Growing up, it was always the final day of summer break before the new school year started. I don’t remember any big activities but I know my mom was always making sure everything was ready for the next day.

    As an adult, I’ve worked retail for a long time and the day has no meaning.

  12. Lake cabin, lots of boating and fishing, some camping, campfires. Basically the last long weekend at the lake before the cool season kicks in. 

  13. We gave a big, potluck style family dinner. Four families, grandparents would meet up. We set up grills and grill chicken with BBQ sauce.

  14. We have a nice dinner to celebrate all the moms in our family and thank them for giving birth

  15. Most of my family lives in the midwest. They put the outdoor porch chairs in the garage for the winter at the end of the day, because in another couple of weeks it will be too cold to sit outside.

  16. As a kid I’d cry all Labor Day night long because next day was the first day back to school. To this day I (f57) am so unbelievably grateful that I never have to go back and have been every year since I quit when I turned 18. Whatever hell is, it’s probably public high school in the ‘80’s in Fairfax County Virginia.

  17. If you are in the US, Don’t worry, soon there will be no more national holidays allowed except for Christmas, Easter, Veterans Day and Trump’s Birthday.

  18. I grew up in a Ocean Resort community. We had a massive party to celebrate all the tourists going home. LOL

  19. Never had a Labor Day tradition until my son entered high school and started marching band. He’s in his 3rd year so we’ll be heading to the parade to watch him for a total of 5 minutes if that LOL

  20. Barbecue some burgers and play some games in the park. It was usually on the first weekend after school started, so we spent some time talking about our new classes, etc.

  21. My hometown has a yearly festival honoring the lowly soybean. It was our farmer’s cash crop and a reason to celebrate with a carnival, a parade, cotton candy, chickenque and the crowning of the Soybean Queen. (Queen Bean). The earliest festival I remember was in 1955 long before any of us had eaten a soybean.

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