September 7 Holidays

Labor Day is the U.S. federal holiday observed on the first Monday of September, honoring the labor movement whose campaign won the eight-hour workday — established by Congress in 1894 following the Pullman Strike, in which federal troops killed striking workers, making it a holiday born of conflict. International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 2020 to raise awareness for air pollution — the WHO estimates that 99 percent of the global population breathes air that exceeds safe pollution limits, contributing to 7 million annual deaths. Grandma Moses Day marks September 7, 1860, the birthday of Anna Mary Robertson Moses — “Grandma Moses” — the American folk artist who began painting at age 78 after arthritis made embroidery too painful, and went on to produce more than 1,500 canvases celebrating rural New England life. National Boss/Employee Exchange Day was created to encourage managers and employees to swap roles for a day, building empathy and mutual understanding. Eight hours, 7 million deaths, 1,500 canvases, and a desk swap.