Recognized annually on the first Monday of September, Labor Day has been a federal holiday since 1882 and is meant to celebrate the social and economic achievements of American workers, according to the United States Department of Labor.
During the morning of the national holiday, a small crowd of parkgoers participated in physical activity despite the heat reaching the low 90s before noon at Central Park.
Some people could be seen riding scooters, playing soccer, shooting hoops, and even a few riding dirt bikes with the large park being emptier than usual.
Alberto Arellano, a superintendent for a construction company, spent the morning with his wife, Kenia Arellano, and their 115-pound St. Bernard pup named Chief.
As Alberto chose to cool down under a pergola near the Central Park stairs along with Chief, Kenia continued her jogging up the stairs that many residents use for exercise.
“Today we’re just relaxing, just taking [Chief] out. We’re starting to become empty nesters,” Alberto said, adding that his three kids are now fully grown, one of them currently stationed in England with the Air Force.
Their Labor Day family get-together this year was on Sunday, he said, since many of them were scheduled to work on Monday. After Kenia was done with her workout, they planned on going to the dog park, he said, so Chief could enjoy some additional physical activity.
Annette Bloor and Martha Gaitan were chatting it up under some large trees where a cool breeze could be felt, after they finished their Zumba workout for the day.
Bloor used to work at Culver City Hall, and Gaitan was a city of Santa Clarita employee, but they’re now both retired, they said.
The duo spent their morning with a few other ladies, exercising and then spent the rest of the time talking before they dispersed, said Gaitan.
Gaitan’s Labor Day weekend festivities coincided with her daughter’s birthday, and they spent Sunday celebrating at La Cocina Bar and Grill on Golden Valley Road, she said.
“We were a camping family, we camped every holiday,” she said when asked about any Labor Day traditions she had with her family. That tradition came to a halt with the COVID-19 pandemic, which changed a lot for her, she added.
“I still have my camper, we’re trying to go back out.”
Bloor used to spend Labor Day weekends having family get-togethers and enjoying a barbecue like many, “but since we’re all scattered, we stopped doing that because of the drive,” she said.
The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated in New York City on Sept. 5, 1882, and at the time festivities ranged from parades to parties, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
Nowadays the federal holiday is celebrated with picnics, barbecues, firework displays, and other public gatherings, and “for many Americans, particularly children and young adults, it represents the end of the summer,” states History.com
