Why do we celebrate National Boss Day? It's kinda awkward

As national celebrations go, National Boss Day is more like Talk Like a Pirate Day than Labor Day.

The concept of Boss Day has been around since the late 1950s, when an employee at State Farm Insurance Company in Illinois registered the holiday with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, according to timeanddate.com. She chose the date – Oct. 16 – because it was her father’s birthday.

The date was officially proclaimed in Illinois in 1962, according to timeanddate.com.

It has become an annual celebration of office life and a way to let employers know they are appreciated. And Boss Day has become popular, at least on social media, where the hashtag was trending all day.

Some, especially the self-employed, took the opportunity to praise their bosses straight out. Others used it as way to explain the differences between a boss and a leader.

There were GIFs and memes and no shortage of mentions of President Donald Trump (he is the boss of America, after all). Also Darth Vader and at least one picture of Bruce Springsteen.

Others used the opportunity to point out serious problems they see in the workforce.

This story was originally published October 16, 2017 at 2:46 PM with the headline "Why do we celebrate National Boss Day? It's kinda awkward."