What Does Labor Day Mean? | The Question | Seven Days | Vermont's Independent Voice

Seven Days needs your financial support!

Give Monthly
Give Now
Get a Newspaper | Get Takeout | Shop Local | Get Tickets | |
Vermont's Independent Voice

September 09, 1998 Arts + Life » The Question

What Does Labor Day Mean? 

By

“Okay, let me explain this to you: Memorial Day is the kickoff of the cookout season. Labor Day was invented to mark the end of cookout season so 'hammerheads’ won’t keep grilling into the winter. What’s a hammerhead? This guy from New Hampshire, the other day, asked me, ‘What’s that place where the ferry is?’ The dock, I said. ‘No, that’s not it.’ The lake? ‘Nah.’ Ethan Allen? ‘Yeah, that sounds right.’ He didn’t know, he just wanted to hear a name. That’s a hammerhead, and Labor Day marks the end of their cookout season.”

-Lenny Williams
Chef at Red Square, Burlington

“Giving thanks to the American Movie Channel for blessing me with a whole weekend of back-to-back Planet of the Apes movies. I was so excited I took Monday off and bought some books on relativity.”

-Diane Sullivan
Salesperson, Feet Street, Burlington

“What does Labor Day mean? Oh. I pretty much don’t know what it means. As far as I know it’s a holiday like they have every year. The only thing I can think of is it has something to do work-wise."

-Bruce Spaulding
Stocker, Kerry’s Kwik Stop, Burlington

?Question is a weekly random question addressed to random people in Vermont. Don’t look so smug—you could be next.

Got something to say? Send a letter to the editor and we'll publish your feedback in print!

Tags: , ,

More The Question »

More By This Author

  • Seven Days Writers Reveal What it Took to Report on a Most Unusual, Isolating, Historic Year

  • Seven Days Writers Reveal What it Took to Report on a Most Unusual, Isolating, Historic Year

    • By Seven Days Staff
    • Dec 30, 2020
  • Life Stories: Remembering Vermonters Who Died in 2020

  • Life Stories: Remembering Vermonters Who Died in 2020

    Living through 2020 has meant facing reminders of death on a daily basis. As of mid-December, more than 1.6 million people had died of COVID-19 worldwide, including more than 300,000 Americans. The numbers are less dramatic in Vermont — 107 deaths as of December 22 — but the impact has nonetheless been profound: That's more than 100 Vermont families, communities and circles of friends forever broken. Indeed, 2020 has been a year defined by loss and grief.
    • By Seven Days Staff
    • Dec 30, 2020
  • Good News, Positive Trends and Stories of Resilience From an Awful Year

  • Good News, Positive Trends and Stories of Resilience From an Awful Year

    The long-lasting toll of this nightmare year has yet to be assessed. The December 14 issue of Time magazine hyperbolically declared 2020 “the worst year ever.” And yet, the past nine months of pandemic life have included numerous examples of Vermonters banding together to overcome challenges, doing their best with available resources and finding a way forward.
    • By Seven Days Staff
    • Dec 16, 2020
  • More »

About The Author

Seven Days Staff

Seven Days Staff

Trending

Leahy: Vermont Would Receive $1.3 Billion Under Proposed Relief Bill
Magic Number: How Weinberger Won the Mayor's Race by 129 Votes
Cannabis Organization Heady Vermont Is on Hiatus
The Magnificent 7: Must See, Must Do, March 4 to 10
Candidates of Color Win, Lose and Even Tie on Town Meeting Day
Top Stories
Advertisement:

Speaking of Labor Day, back Issue

Comments

Comments are closed.

Since 2014, Seven Days has allowed readers to comment on all stories posted on our website. While we’ve appreciated the suggestions and insights, the time has come to shut them down — at least temporarily.

While we champion free speech, facts are a matter of life and death during the coronavirus pandemic, and right now Seven Days is prioritizing the production of responsible journalism over moderating online debates between readers.

To criticize, correct or praise our reporting, please send us a letter to the editor. Or send us a tip. We’ll check it out and report the results.

Online comments may return when we have better tech tools for managing them. Thanks for reading.

Life Lines

Submit Your Announcement All Life Lines »
+ send an arts tip

Keep up with us Seven Days a week!

Sign up for our fun and informative
newsletters:

All content © 2021 Da Capo Publishing, Inc. 255 So. Champlain St. Ste. 5, Burlington, VT 05401
Advertising Policy  |  Contact Us
Website powered by Foundation