5 Labor Day Party Theme Ideas

Labor Day is all about commemorating the American Labor movement, which improved working conditions and resulted in the growth and prosperity of the American way of life. Importantly, the day is a way of rewarding the efforts of the workforce by celebrating their achievements and giving them time off to spend with their family and friends. So what is there to do with this holiday except picnic in the park? Here's a list of theme ideas for your labor day party:

1. Olden Thymes. Bring home to your guests just how much the American labor force changed the world by recreating a time before OSHA ever existed. Invite your guests on parchment paper, addressing a few as lords and ladies and the others as peasants. Drink wine out of old-fashioned goblets and serve giant turkey legs out of your smoker. Have guests "joust" with toothpicks. Play Renaissance music and invite people to come in costume. Don't forget to invite a court jester! Appoint one of your guests to be the King or Queen and be sure to have them oppress the masses-it'll make everyone grateful for Labor Day. (If you really want to run with this party theme, twist it slightly for Labor Day by introducing the concept of Robin Hood and his merry band of thieves as an abject lesson in what happens without labor reforms.)

2. Arts and Crafts. Host a Labor Day bash that features the work of your guests when they're not busy earning wages. Do some of your friends paint? Do others make model trains? Invite one and all to show off their hobbies, mundane or otherwise, at your Labor Day party. With this party theme, you can help initiate spontaneous creativity by providing crayons, paints, and art supplies at each table.

3. A Pioneer Party. America was founded by hardy pioneers, so why not use them as your Labor Day party theme. Go "Little House on the Prairie" with your menu. Serve corn on the cob with fresh churned butter to give this Labor Day party theme an authentic feel. Have an egg toss or a sack race in your backyard, and play Square Dancing music in the background.

4. Under the Sea. Because Labor Day will generally be the last big bash of the summer, it's the perfect time to celebrate our kinship with the sea. Decorate in cool blue and aqua. Have a clambake, or if you're feeling really generous, a lobster fest. Send out invitations on fish-shaped paper. Serve drinks out of mermaid shaped cups. Even if you have to put a kid's pool out in the backyard, it'll still give your Labor Day theme party a refreshing splash.

5. Enjoy the Blooms. Labor Day parties are meant to mark the end of summer and to allow the American worker to sniff the roses. Why not do it literally? A great Labor Day theme idea is a flower party. Send out invitations with petals in them. Decorate with giant sunflower cut outs and lavender centerpieces. Ask guests to bring flowers from their garden to press into a commemorative scrap book. Blindfold guests and see if they can properly identify each flower they sniff.

These are just five Labor Day party themes that will make your event the talk of the town. Good luck, and enjoy the day!