Labor Day is not about the end of summer, the start of school, or the last day the pool is open. It’s not about hot dogs or hamburgers. Or packing away your white shoes.

It’s not about the big sale. Even if you run a business that is holding said sale.

No, the origins of this holiday are not so sunny.

Labor Day was born in a time when 80-hour weeks were the norm for the everyday worker. Kids toiled in factories. And both children and adults worked in unsafe, unsanitary conditions – often to fill the coffers of wealthy industrial and financial moguls whose pictures could be found next to the word ‘exploitation’ in the dictionary.

With the help of labor unions, tens of thousands of disgruntled workers organized strikes and rallies, often ending in violence and even fatalities.

People shed blood, sweat and tears so that we could have 8-hour work days, breaks for the most basic human needs, and benefits (and if we’re lucky, a little time to spend with the people we love and care about).

Now you may not be able to limit yourself to 8-hour days. Or perhaps you or a family member has been out of work for a while and just can’t get back in the game.

But no matter where you are on the spectrum, you can take the time to honor those who sacrificed their safety or even their lives for future generations of American workers.

So sometime in the middle of your long weekend in Nantucket or your neighborhood BBQ, stop for one full minute, close your eyes, and celebrate the people who fought for the rights we enjoy today.