Labor Day has become one of those holidays that can sneak up on us.

For many of us, it means a three-day weekend. It means one more backyard barbecue before summer gives way to fall. It means sales at the stores, football season getting closer, and maybe trying to squeeze in one last trip to the lake.

And, of course, it means somebody is probably firing up the grill.

But Labor Day wasn’t originally about hamburgers, hot dogs, or a long weekend.

It was about people who worked hard and believed that working people deserved to be recognized, respected, and treated fairly.

Before the Barbecue

The first Labor Day celebration took place in New York City on September 5, 1882. Thousands of workers and their families participated in a parade organized by the Central Labor Union. The celebration included a parade, speeches, a picnic, and plenty of food and fellowship.

Labor Day eventually spread throughout the country. By 1894, 23 additional states had recognized the holiday, and on June 28 of that year, President Grover Cleveland signed legislation making the first Monday in September a national holiday.

The holiday grew out of a labor movement that was pushing for better working conditions, better wages, and shorter workdays. At the time, many workers endured extraordinarily long hours. The eight-hour workday became one of the major goals of the movement.

So when we say “Happy Labor Day,” we’re really saying more than, “Enjoy your day off.”

We’re recognizing the people whose work helps keep families, businesses, communities, and this country moving.

That’s worth remembering.

Then We Fire Up the Grill

Of course, Labor Day has changed over the years.

Today’s celebration is much less likely to involve a labor parade and much more likely to involve somebody standing beside a grill saying, “It’s almost ready.”

And I’m perfectly okay with that.

There’s something about a Labor Day cookout that feels almost as American as the holiday itself.

The grill gets fired up. Somebody brings the drinks. Somebody else brings dessert. There are folding chairs in the backyard. Kids are running around. Somebody is arguing about whether the burgers are done.

And there’s usually way too much food.

According to Numerator research, grilling was the top planned Labor Day celebration activity in 2023, with 61% of Labor Day celebrants saying they planned to grill. Among those planning to purchase food, hamburgers were at the top at 83%, followed by hot dogs at 67%, chicken at 60%, and steak at 41%.

So apparently, my suspicion is correct.

Labor Day is basically an excuse to put hamburgers and hot dogs on a grill.

And that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Because sometimes food isn’t just food.

Sometimes it’s tradition, it’s family and friendship.

Sometimes it’s a reminder of people we miss.

And sometimes it’s a bowl of potato salad sitting beside the grill.

But Let’s Talk About the Potato Salad

I’m going to admit something.

I’m a little particular about potato salad.

First, I like mine cold.

Not room temperature.

Not warm.

Cold.

There is just something about cold potato salad alongside a hot burger or a couple of grilled hot dogs that works.

And I prefer a potato salad that leans more toward the flavors of a deviled egg than toward a sweet picnic salad.

That means mayonnaise.

A little mustard.

Dill pickle relish, definitely not sweet relish.

Purple onion.

Green onion.

Celery seed.

And, most importantly, eggs.

My Great Uncle Standford had a rule about potato salad that I’ve never forgotten:

You use as many eggs as you use potatoes.

Not pounds.

Potatoes.

If you have six potatoes, you use six eggs.

Now, I don’t know if that rule came from some long-standing culinary tradition or if Great Uncle Standford simply really liked eggs.

I’m willing to believe either one.

But I’ve adopted the rule.

Great Uncle Standford’s Rule

So if you’re looking for a Labor Day potato salad that tastes a little more like a deviled egg and a little less like something you bought at the grocery store, here’s my version.

Deviled-Egg Style Labor Day Potato Salad

Ingredients

• 6 medium Yukon Gold potatoes
• 6 large eggs
• 1 to 1½ cups mayonnaise, depending on how creamy you like it
• ¼ to ⅓ cup finely chopped dill pickle relish
• 1 small purple/red onion, finely chopped
• 2–3 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1–2 tablespoons yellow or Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon pickle juice
• ½–1 teaspoon celery seed
• ½ teaspoon paprika, plus a little more for the top
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Making It

Start by boiling the potatoes until they are tender but still firm enough to hold their shape. You don’t want mashed potatoes. You want potato salad.

Drain them and allow them to cool.

While the potatoes are cooking, prepare your eggs. Since we’re following Great Uncle Standford’s rule, six potatoes means six eggs.

Once the eggs are cooled, chop them. I like some of the pieces fairly small so they blend into the dressing while leaving a few larger pieces for texture.

For the dressing, combine the mayonnaise, mustard, dill pickle relish, pickle juice, celery seed, paprika, salt, and pepper.

Add the purple onion and green onion.

Then gently fold in the potatoes and eggs.

Taste it.

This is important.

Potato salad is one of those dishes where you have to make it yours. Maybe you want a little more mustard. Maybe you want more pickle. Maybe you want another spoonful of mayonnaise. I like black pepper on mine and you can never go wrong with bacon sprinkled on top

Adjust it until it tastes right to you. Then refrigerate it.

And remember:

Cold.

I cannot emphasize this enough.

Letting the potato salad sit in the refrigerator for a few hours also gives all those flavors time to come together.

Before serving, sprinkle a little paprika over the top. And there you have it.

A bowl of potato salad worthy of a Labor Day cookout.

More Than a Day Off

But here’s the thing I don’t want us to miss.

It’s easy for Labor Day to become just another day on the calendar.

A day off. A sale. A barbecue. The unofficial end of summer.

But the history behind the holiday reminds us that there is dignity in work.

There is dignity in the person who gets up before daylight to go to work.

There is dignity in the nurse working a holiday shift.

There is dignity in the construction worker, teacher, mechanic, truck driver, farmer, restaurant worker, caregiver, technician, first responder, small-business owner, and countless others whose work often goes unnoticed.

And there is also dignity in recognizing that people need rest.

That’s something I think we sometimes forget.

We can become so focused on productivity that we start believing our value comes from what we accomplish.

But you are more than your job.

Your worth isn’t determined by your paycheck.

Your identity isn’t your job title.

And taking a day to rest doesn’t mean you’re lazy.

Sometimes rest is part of healthy living.

So This Labor Day…

Maybe fire up the grill. Make the hamburgers. Cook the hot dogs. Throw some chicken on there.

Make a BIG bowl of potato salad.

Sit outside. Talk to somebody. Laugh.

Remember the people who taught you the traditions you still carry.

And take a moment to appreciate the people who work hard every day.

Because Labor Day began as a celebration of working people, and that’s still worth celebrating.

But maybe it can also remind us of something else:

We weren’t created simply to work.

We were created to live.

To connect.

To rest.

To enjoy one another.

To make memories.

So this Labor Day, enjoy the cookout.

And if somebody asks you to bring the potato salad, remember Great Uncle Standford’s rule.

Six potatoes? Six eggs. And please…

serve it cold.