for them to celebrate all that their work
has made possible. The holiday is sometimes
observed with parades and
speeches, as well as political rallies.
Other countries honor workers on May
Day, which is celebrated on May 1.
Labor Day was first celebrated in the
United States in New York City on September
5, 1882. At that first Labor Day,
workers paraded in order to show their
unity and desire for fair working conditions.
The peaceful demonstration
involved all types of workers, from
Demonstrators marching in Poland carry
banners with the name of the Solidarity
trade union.
98 Labor Day BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
seamstresses to bricklayers. They waved
banners bearing such slogans as, “Labor
built this republic and labor shall rule
it.” In June 1894 President Grover
Cleveland signed a bill into law making
Labor Day a national holiday.
Canadian workers first held parades in
Ontario in 1872. In 1894 Canada made
Labor Day a national holiday.
#More to explore
Festival and Holiday • Labor • May Day
Labrador
#see Newfoundland and Labrador.
Lace
Lace is a beautiful and delicate textile, or
fabric. It is used to make clothing and to
decorate household objects, such as curtains
and pillows.
There are many different styles of lace.
Each has a different pattern of flowers,
leaves, or other designs. Today lace is
usually made by a machine. However,
lace makers make the most artistic kinds
of lace by hand, using either needles or
bobbins (spools).
Needle lace requires a needle and a
single thread. The lace maker stitches
the lace on top of a pattern attached to a
piece of cloth. When the lace is finished,
the lace maker cuts the stitches holding
it to the cloth.
Bobbin lace requires a number of
threads wound around different bobbins.
The lace maker sticks a pattern of
pins into a cushion. The lace maker then
twists and crosses the threads around the
pins to form the lace.
Before 1800, lace making was a popular
art in Europe, especially in Italy, France,
and Flanders (now part of Belgium).
This handmade lace took a long time to
make, and only skillful people could do
it. For these reasons, lace was very
expensive. In the 1800s people began
Many towns hold parades to celebrate
Labor Day.
The most delicate and artistic kinds of lace
are made by hand.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Lace 99
using machines to make lace. Lace then
became more affordable.
#More to explore
Clothing • Textile
Lacrosse
The game called lacrosse is the oldest
team sport in North America. Native
Americans played it before the arrival of
Europeans. The French who arrived in
the 1600s noticed that the stick used to
play the game looked like a crosier. A
crosier is a staff, or rod, carried by
church leaders called bishops during
religious ceremonies. The name lacrosse
came from the word crosier.
Playing Field and Equipment
Lacrosse is played between two teams on
a long, rectangular field. There are goals
at each end. The goals are made of nets
fastened over a tall frame. There are 10
players on men’s teams and 12 players
on women’s teams.
The main equipment is a rubber ball
and long sticks called crosses. Crosses
have a net pocket at one end to catch
the ball. Each player carries a crosse during
the game.
Players wear a helmet with wire face
mask, shoulder pads and hip pads, and
protective gloves. They also wear shoes
with cleats, or tiny spikes, which dig
into the ground and prevent slipping.
Rules
The object of the game is to score points
by making goals. The players on one
team try to score goals by throwing the
ball into the goal of the opposing team.
Players may use the crosse to pass the
ball to other players, or they may carry
the ball in the crosse. They may also
knock the ball out of opponents’ crosses
or try to block their way. Each team has
a player called the goalkeeper, who
defends the goal. Goalkeepers may use
their hands to smack the ball away. The
other players may not touch the ball
with their hands.
Lace makers weave their patterns out of
many pieces of thread. They use small sticks
called bobbins to move the threads around.
A lacrosse player uses his crosse to carry
the ball past a player from the other team.
100 Lacrosse BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
History
The Iroquois people played the first
games of lacrosse. Teams sometimes
included as many as 1,000 men, and the
goals might be placed several miles
apart. The games could also last many
days, from sunrise to sunset.
#More to explore
Iroquois • Sports
Lafayette,
Marquis de
The Marquis de Lafayette was a French
soldier and nobleman who loved freedom.
He became a hero for the United
States during the American Revolution.
He also helped to lead the French Revolution.
Early Life
Lafayette was born on September 6,
1757, in Chavaniac, France. His original
name was Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-
Roch-Gilbert du Motier. He inherited
great wealth from his mother and a
castle and the title of marquis from his
father.
American Revolutionary
Young Lafayette decided to help the
American colonies fight the British in
the American Revolution. He arrived in
the colonies in 1777. The colonists
made him a major general.
