Labor Day 2013: What's Open; What's Closed

Monday is Labor Day, a federal holiday honoring the working people of the United States and the labor movement that helped ensure workers' rights and safety.

All federal, state and local governmental offices are closed Monday. Emergency services are fully operational, however. Many state and local parks and recreational facilities are open.

All banks and the financial markets are closed Monday. The ATMs usually are stocked and working.

There is no regular mail delivery, but Express Mail will still be delivered.

All public and private schools are closed.

Many retail stores are open, especially grocery stores, movie theaters and shopping malls. Some of these merchants will operate on reduced hours, however.

The first Monday in September was made a federal holiday in 1894, following the deaths of numerous workers at the hands of the U.S. military and U.S. Marshals during the Pullman Strike. President Grover Cleveland signed the bill into law. The labor movement continued well into the 20th Century and beyond.

The forecast for the Labor Day holiday calls for showers and thunderstorms during the day. It may clear in time for an evening barbecue, meteorologists predict.