Labor Day idea: Don’t do anything!

Labor Day has become one of those weekends when it's almost impossible to avoid being told to buy something. Our inboxes fill with offers for 30% off mattresses, patio furniture, appliances, clothing, and just about everything else.

Which is a little ironic, given the history of this holiday. The first Labor Day celebration took place right here in New York City in 1882, when thousands of workers marched through Manhattan in support of the labor movement. The holiday was eventually established to honor American workers and their contributions—and, quite literally, to give them a day off.

As an aside: I have always found the name “Labor Day” confusing, because I feel like it should really be “No Labor Today” Day. If it’s called Labor Day, it feels like we should be working on the day, you know? Am I overthinking this?

At Paper Moon Moves, we spend a lot of our working lives surrounded by things people once bought. Some were loved and used for decades. Others may have seemed like a good idea at the time but have since accumulated dust and taken up space.

So here's a slightly different suggestion for Labor Day weekend: don't feel obligated to shop the sales.

If there's something you genuinely need and it's on sale, terrific. But if you don't need anything, you've already found the best bargain of the weekend.

Take the day off. Go for a walk. Have lunch with friends. Catch up on the new season of Ted Lasso (and I want to hear what everybody thinks of this season, because I have mixed feelings!). Sit outside. Enjoy these last few weeks of summer.

After all, isn't that a little closer to what Labor Day was supposed to be about?