Crossing the finish line. That’s how the end of summer feels for year-round Islanders who have been running nonstop since June, working long hours, tending their gardens, seeing friends, hosting, feeding and brooming up after house guests, children and grandchildren — seemingly all at once.

Big hug, saying goodbye. That’s how it feels for longtime seasonal residents who have been soaking up the sun, beaches, saltwater fishing, farmers markets and a jam-packed, end-to-end schedule of cultural events.

Either way, after a breathless sprint across three months, it’s time for a pause.

Labor Day is Monday. And while by the calendar it is still summer for another three weeks, on the Island the holiday traditionally marks a turning point in the season, the time when sand-in-the-shoes summer life ends and a quieter year-round life takes over.

Children return to school. Fishermen gear up for the striped bass and bluefish derby, the Vineyard’s own fall classic that is entering its 71st year. Committee meetings begin again in earnest (America may run on Dunkin, as the ad says, but the Island runs on meetings). Windows are washed, rugs are cleaned, sweaters pulled from drawers as nights turn cool again. Ears are tuned for word of the bay scallop season ahead — will it be a good year? The town shellfish constable is your best friend.

And besides marking the end of summer, Labor Day is a celebration of the contributions and achievements of the millions of men and women who are employed in the United States.

On the Vineyard there are an estimated fifteen thousand people in the workforce, including seasonal workers, according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Many of those seasonal workers are leaving now, and that means many businesses will be short-handed even though there will be plenty of shoulder season visitors around in the weeks and months ahead. So be kind to that person behind the counter — it may well be the weary business owner running her own cash register.

The Gazette sends out warm wishes on Labor Day to all our readers near and far.

The newspaper staff will take their own first break of the summer on Monday, when the Gazette office will be closed in observance of the national holiday. The office will reopen Tuesday morning.