Welcome to September. It’s the month that marks the end of summer vacations, the beginning of the academic year and a range of important observances from Labor Day to Hispanic Heritage Month.

Hispanic Heritage Month

September 15 through October 15 is National Hispanic Heritage Month, designed to recognize the heritage and contributions made by members of the Hispanic community. The Hispanic population has grown to at least 60 million people in the United States.

A quick Internet search will help you to identify numerous Hispanic Heritage activities across the state. Information on the City of Boston celebration is available here.

President Lyndon Johnson declared Hispanic Heritage Week in 1968. Legislation passed in 1988 expanded the week to National Hispanic Heritage Month. Festivities begin on September 15, marking the anniversary of independence from Spain for the Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua.

Important Holidays in September 2022

Labor Day (September 5, 2022) this holiday traditionally marks the end of summer vacations and return to school. In the US, Labor Day is celebrated on the first Monday of September. It became a federal holiday in 1894 after many states across the country had already adopted the day as a state holiday.

Labor Day is an annual celebration historically rooted in the social and economic achievements of American workers. The holiday emerged in the late nineteenth century, when labor activists pushed for a federal holiday to recognize the many contributions workers have made to America’s strength, prosperity, and well-being.

Oregon was the first state to pass a law recognizing Labor Day, in early 1887.  Massachusetts followed suit later the same year. By 1894, 23 more states had adopted the holiday, and on June 28, 1894, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday.

Employers should check their AIM holiday calendar to see how state law may impact their ability to open and whether they must pay premium pay to employees.

Notable days in September

The Friday after Labor Day is National 401(k) day. It’s an opportunity to encourage employees to review their participation with, and contributions to, their employer-managed 401(k) program as they consider their retirement plans.

September equinox is the time of year where night and day are almost of equal length. The 2022 equinox occurs on September 23. The equinox marks the first day of autumn and is called the autumnal (fall) equinox in the northern hemisphere. It is also the month of the harvest moon.

Rosh Hashanah falls on Sunday, September 25. The day marks the start of the Jewish New Year.

For those with employees who celebrate pagan rituals, Michaelmas falls on September 29, 2022. It is an ancient Celtic “Quarter Day which marked the end of the harvesting season.

See you in October.