Memorial Day and Labor Day form a set of parentheses around summer, effectively separating it from spring and fall. Though the meanings behind both holidays have little to do with summer, each holiday weekend is more a celebration of summer — one ringing it in, the other ringing it out — than anything else. Sure, we have parades celebrating those who have died in war, and those who created labor unions. But really, these weekends are about celebrating summer through barbecuing, camping, and having a good time.
So which is the better holiday weekend? Here, I examine this question and draw a conclusion based on 3 criteria: activities, weather, and meaning.
Activities
Some of the most popular ways to enjoy a holiday weekend are to get out of town: go camping, or head to the cabin, lake, or river. Memorial Day weekend marks the opening of summer, and many resorts and campgrounds that have been closed for the winter now open.
But the same amount of activities are not available over both weekends. For one thing, Labor Day weekend has more (and better!) festivals than Memorial Day weekend. This is not to say that Memorial Day’s festivals don’t live up; it’s got Seattle’s Folklife Festival, South Carolina’s Freedom Week Aloft (with 100 hot-air balloons) and a whole blimp-full of parades. But festivals are way more fun than parades, and Labor Day’s got more festivals.
Labor Day 1 Memorial Day 0
Weather
By Memorial Day weekend, much of winter’s snow still sticks to the mountains, limiting lake and river activities. Particularly in Alaska, but also in the Pacific Northwest, you can’t even access most trails until mid to late June. But over Labor Day weekend, berries are ripe, trees are lush and green, and the backcountry is a blooming alpine playground. In the southern states, though, warm weather is more of a given than it is to the north.
So I consulted the farmer’s almanac online, and randomly checked the average temperatures for three cities. Here’s what the almanac read:
In Seattle, the average Memorial Day temperature is 55.9 degrees, while Labor Day averages 65.9.
Reno, Memorial Day averaged 62.9 degrees and Labor Day 75.8.
In Minneapolis, the average Memorial Day temperature is 70.9, while Labor Day is 64.0.
Again, this is a random sample and is in no way scientific. That being said, if I were going to choose a weekend to spend camping, I’d certainly choose Labor Day. Minneapolis may be warmer over Memorial Day, but there’s not enough of a difference between the two holidays there to swing my vote towards Memorial Day.
Labor Day 2 Memorial Day 0
I know, this is the boring part (sort of like listening to the Christmas story when you really just want to open all your presents), and it’s pretty clear that Labor Day is going to win. So I’ll make it quick, because it might be somewhat beneficial to understand why we’ve got these two weekends to party. That way we can give thanks, and then get on to shotgunning another beer.
Memorial Day is a day of remembrance for those who have lost their lives in war. The present “situation” in Iraq is one reason to take a moment and consider your “freedom.”
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Labor Day “is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.”
My vote goes to Labor Day. What about you?
Final Score: Labor Day 3 Memorial Day 0
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