May 1st - Labor Day - May Day - And Michael's 23rd Birthday

Over here in Europe today is a holiday. It's Labor Day! And that is weird to me, because over there in the States, we're all used to having it be in the beginning of September. Like on my birthday. September 5th 19 years ago was Labor Day- when I was born. So it being May, and it being the European Labor day is weird. Especially since it's Brother's birthday today. He stole my birthday having it as a holiday! hahahaha. Mikey is in Vegas with Abbie and doing some more X-terra triatholon things, so that's pretty awesome. As for me- I have 36 days left in Spain, and 50 days until Lake Powell! I have an awesome life. I love it.

Oh, and here's some history on Labor Day via Wikipedia.com.

History

In Europe, the labour movement began during the industrial revolution, when agricultural jobs declined and employment moved to more industrial areas. The idea met with great resistance. In the 18th century and early 19th century, groups such as the Tolpuddle Martyrs of Tolpuddle, Dorset were punished and transported for forming unions, which was against the laws of the time. The movement gained major impetus in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries from the Catholic Social Teaching tradition which began in 1891 with the publication of Pope Leo XIII's foundational document, Rerum Novarum, also known as "On the Condition of the Working Classes," in which he advocated a series of reforms including limits on the length of the work day, a living wage, the elimination of child labor, the rights of labor to organize, and the duty of the state to regulate labor conditions. Following the release of the document, the labor movement which had previously floundered began to flourish in Europe and later in North America.^{[citation needed]}

Throughout the world, action by the labour movement has led to reforms and workers' rights, such as the 2-day weekend, minimum wage, paid holidays, and the achievement of the eight-hour day for many workers. There have been many important labour activists in modern history who have caused changes that were revolutionary at the time and are now regarded as basic. For example, Mary Harris Jones, better known as "Mother Jones", and the National Catholic Welfare Council were central in the campaign to end child labour in the United States during the early 20th century. An active and free labour movement is considered by many to be an important element in maintaining democracy and for economic development.