Why do we get a day off from work the first Monday in September?

Labor Day became an official U.S. federal holiday in 1894 when President Grover Cleveland made reconciliation with the labor movement a top political priority. Following the Pullman Strike, to divert further conflict between the government and labor, legislation making Labor Day a national holiday was rushed through Congress unanimously and signed into law just six days after the end of the strike, as explained on PBS.org.

Today, all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and the territories have made it a statutory holiday.

Traditionally, Labor Day is celebrated by most Americans as the symbolic end of the summer. The holiday is often regarded as a day of rest and parties. Forms of celebration include picnics, barbecues, water sports, and public events. Families with school-age children take it as the last chance to travel before the end of summer recess.

No doubt, if your plans include outdoor activities, careful attention will be paid to protecting your skin from the sun’s harmful rays. But did you know that allowing yourself a little sun exposure is actually very good for your health, because the best and most effective way to get your vitamin D is from the sun?

“How much sun exposure does it take to get vitamin D?”

It is true that too much sun exposure can cause skin damage and premature aging. But everybody should be getting some sun at least three times per week over 25% of the body for a determined amount of time.

SkinHealth Technology has developed postage stamp-sized sensors that aid you in getting your vitamin D from the sun. These sensors gauge the intensity of the sun’s UV rays. When the sensor changes color it’s time to get out of the sun or apply sunscreen.

So, while you’re taking a day of rest from your labors—let your body work to produce vitamin D—naturally, but sensibly.