By A Staff Illustrator (Frank Leslie’s Weekly Illustrated Newspaper) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

It’s not easy to step up for a cause, haijin. But the brave among you did!

Congratulations to last week’s contributors:

Haikai Challenge Participants 

Powered by… Mister Linky’s Magical Widgets.

Ultreya!

Ah, September! The joy of parents, the sigh of teachers, the dread of children! The ninth month of the Gregorian calendar is upon us, and here in the Northern Hemisphere, that means Summer yields slowly to Autumn. The Autumnal equinox will arrive soon enough to usher in the harvest season, but here in the United States, we have another holiday to mark the unofficial end of Summer/beginning of Autumn: Labor Day:

Labor Day in the United States is a public holiday celebrated on the first Monday in September. It honors the American labor movement and the contributions that workers have made to the strength, prosperity, laws and well-being of the country. It is the Monday of the long weekend known as Labor Day Weekend and it is considered the unofficial end of summer in the United States. It is recognized as a federal holiday.

Beginning in the late 19th century, as the trade union and labor movements grew, trade unionists proposed that a day be set aside to celebrate labor. “Labor Day” was promoted by the Central Labor Union and the Knights of Labor, which organized the first parade in New York City. In 1887, Oregon was the first state of the United States to make it an official public holiday. By the time it became an official federal holiday in 1894, thirty states in the United States officially celebrated Labor Day.[2]

Many teachers, especially those working in the North such as myself, return to work the day after Labor Day:

In the United States, many school districts resume classes around the Labor Day holiday weekend (see First day of school). Many begin the week before, making Labor Day weekend the first three-day weekend of the school calendar, while others return the Tuesday following Labor Day, allowing families one final getaway before the school year begins. Many districts across the Midwest are opting to begin school after Labor Day.[11]

As Labor Day is upon us, it’s fitting to offer a traditional Autumn kigo at this time, as well. Sure, there will be the predictable summer heat in the first half of September. But past the midpoint, as the equinox comes, the temperatures will cool. Wine-making will ensue, if it hasn’t started already, and Autumn festivals and fairs begin.

This week, write the haikai poem (haiku, senryu, haibun, tanka, haiga, renga, etc.) of your choice that states or references Labor Day AND/OR the coming of Autumn (risshuu).

As always:

Here’s how the challenge works:

1. write the haikai poem of your choice.
2. post the link of your post to Mister Linky.
3. pingback by posting the link to the challenge on your site.
4. read and comment on other contributors’ posts.

Happy Labor Day, everyone. Enjoy the coming Autumn, haijin. And if you can find it in your hearts, wish me luck on another upcoming school year! 🙂