Today is Labor Day, a holiday with roots stretching back more than a century.

The very first Labor Day was held in New York in 1882. The Central Labor Union wanted a day off “for working citizens.”

The idea spread across the states until the U.S. government recognized Labor Day as a federal holiday in 1894.

At one time, labor Day was a celebration marked by parades and speeches, public gatherings often organized by unions or large companies with many employees.

But over the years the idea of honoring working Americans has fallen by the wayside an...