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If you've searched for something on Google this Monday, you may have noticed how the site has adapted its classic logo to celebrate Labor Day 2022.
Celebrated in the U.S. and Canada, this federal holiday honors the hard work and achievements of working people.
What Is Google Doodle?
The Google Doodle has been a big part of Google since 1998 when founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, played with the corporate logo because they were attending the Burning Man festival in Black Rock City, Nevada.
Mixing up the classic Google design, the pair added a stick figure behind the second "o" as a symbol that the owners of the search engine were out of office to attend the festival.
It wasn't until a few years later in 2000 that Page and Brin asked an intern to produce a doodle to celebrate Bastille Day.
The fun take on marking a special occasion was so well received by search-engine users that the team decided to incorporate Doodles in the home page more often.
Google now has a dedicated team of illustrators, or "doodlers," to create the Google Doodle.
What Is Labor Day?
Labor Day originated in the late 19th century. At the height of the industrial revolution, the average American worked 12-hour days and seven-day weeks in order to earn a basic living, while in some parts of the country, children as young as 5 were sent to work in mines and factories for a fraction of the adult wage.
On September 5, 1882, the Central Labor Union organized a parade in New York City, where thousands of workers took unpaid time off and gathered for the first unofficial celebration of Labor Day, marked with a parade and dubbed the "workingmen's holiday."
It wasn't until 12 years later that the first Monday of every September was officially designated a national holiday when President Grover Cleveland signed the holiday into law on June 28, 1894.
Labor Day Today
Addressing their Google Doodle to celebrate Labor Day, Google said: "While the three-day weekend is a chance for one last break before summer ends, it is also a reminder of how far our country has come in advancing workers' rights.
"Thanks to all the past and current labor activists who have raised our nation's standard of living Happy Labor Day to all!"
Despite the positivity of Labor Day and the history of celebrating hard-working Americans, many still feel that there is a way to go before workers' rights are properly protected.
Employees are expected to work out-of-hours, given timed bathroom breaks, and even told they must sing in front of the office, if they are just a minute late.
Between 2020 and 2021, President Biden announced his Build Back Better plan to invest in training initiatives to help millions of Americans into high-quality employment, championing workers' rights, but many feel he could still be doing more.
About the writer
Alice Gibbs is a Newsweek Senior Internet Trends & Culture Reporter based in the U.K. For the last two years ... Read more