Labor Day is the last holiday of the season, signifying the end of Summer. There’s no better time to throw a BBQ or party celebrating with family and friends or to have a company picnic showing employees how much you appreciate their efforts. After all, Labor Day was created to honor Americans and their contributions and hard work.

Labor Day Traditions

The first Labor Day was held in New York City on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, by the Central Labor Union, which was again celebrated a year later. As other cities and states gained momentum to adopt the holiday, President Grover Cleveland officially signed into law that the first Monday of September each year would be declared a national holiday known as Labor Day.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor website, Many Americans celebrate Labor Day with parades, picnics, and parties – festivities very similar to those outlined by the first proposal for a holiday, which suggested that the day should be observed with – a street parade to exhibit “the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations” of the community, followed by a festival for the recreation and amusement of the workers and their families. This became the pattern for the celebrations of Labor Day.

While this gives us the basis of the holiday, over the years Labor Day has become a day to celebrate more intimately, with family, friends, and co-workers. And who says you can’t promote your company that hires those workers during your celebration?

Employee Appreciation Gifts

Labor Day is a great time to celebrate your employees by providing them with a day filled with fun, activities, and of course, free stuff! Below we present some of the best promotional products you can use to show employee appreciation, that can also be used during your holiday party.

Let’s start with the basics. You will of course want to provide food! Anything from hot dogs and hamburgers, to ribs and steaks, are ideal for outdoor parties (depending on the size of your guest list)! And of course, you will want to serve drinks!

Custom Drinkware

One of the easiest ways to serve drinks on a large scale is to fill coolers with ice and cans and/or bottles. From soda to beer, a custom koozie is a great way to keep those drinks cold and drinkable! And to keep in the theme of the day, consider our American Flag Full Color Hugger Koozies!

Starting at just 90¢ per piece, these 12 oz. collapsible beverage can holders will give guests a way to keep their drinks cold and makes a great take-home gift.

You can also create your own custom Koozie with your own full-color graphics, or opt for our Bottle Buddy if you don’t plan to serve canned drinks.

If you are serving up drinks made in pitchers (or maybe a keg of beer), consider a Stadium Cup. Perfect for any beverage, these sturdy and reusable handy cups start at just 51¢ per piece and are great for kids and adults alike.

If your event is catered for the adult crowd, consider a Stemless Wine Glass or maybe a Pint Glass.   We have a wonderful selection of Barware including wine, beer, and shot glasses, as well as other types of barware ideal for any party.

Personalized Sunglasses

How about sunglasses? No outdoor party is complete without some fun sunshades! Our Patriotic Malibu Retro Sunglasses featuring a vintage distressed American flag pattern with white temples would be a great choice for this American-made holiday.

If you want something that offers more colors, you could opt for one of our Retro Styled pairs of sunglasses and order them in an assortment of colors so guests can choose their own to match or complement what they are wearing.

And of course, don’t forget the kids! Every child loves to wear sunglasses. We have a nice selection of sunglasses geared towards Pre-School Age children, many of which come in an assortment so you don’t have to worry about ordering different colors – they come packaged that way!