Not only is it the first day of September, it's also Labor Day. Government buildings and post offices, financial markets and banks are all closed. Alternate-side-of-the-street parking is suspended and there is no garbage or recycling collection. Mass transit is running on a Sunday schedule. The first Labor Day was celebrated on September 5, 1882 in New York City, after the Central Labor Union decided to hold a demonstration and picnic (it became a national holiday in 1894). The NY Times has an editorial about how Labor Day is a respite between two political conventions, while the Post blasts unions.