Happy Fourth of July! Today is the big day, so be sure to have an extra hot dog or pretzel for me when you gather your friends and family together!
I thought I’d share some interesting facts about the Independence Day holiday from Wikipedia that intrigued me. Here goes:
Families often celebrate Independence Day by hosting or attending a picnic or barbecue and take advantage of the day off and, in some years, long weekend to gather with relatives. Decorations (e.g., streamers, balloons, and clothing) are generally colored red, white, and blue, the colors of the American flag. Parades often are in the morning, while fireworks displays occur in the evening at such places as parks, fairgrounds, or town squares.
Independence Day fireworks are often accompanied by patriotic songs such as the national anthem The Star-Spangled Banner, God Bless America, America The Beautiful, My Country ‘Tis Of Thee, This Land Is Your Land, Stars And Stripes Forever, and regionally, Yankee Doodle in the northeast and Dixie in the south. Some of the lyrics recall images of the Revolutionary War or the War Of 1812.
The painting you can see to the right is one of several versions of a scene painted by A.M. Willard that came to be known as The Spirit of ’76. Often imitated or parodied, it is a familiar symbol of American patriotism.
A salute of one gun for each state in the United States, called a “salute to the union,” is fired on Independence Day at noon by any capable military base.
In 2009, New York City had the largest fireworks display in the country, with over 22 tons of pyrotechnics exploded.
While the official observance always falls on July 4th, participation levels may vary according to which day of the week the 4th falls on. If the holiday falls in the middle of the week, some fireworks displays and celebrations may take place during the weekend for convenience, again, varying by region.
And here are some interesting notes about celebrations of Independence Day:
- Held since 1785, the Bristol Fourth of July Parade in Bristol, Rhode Island, is the oldest continuous Independence Day celebration in the United States.
- Since 1916, Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City supposedly started as a way to settle a dispute among four immigrants as to who was the most patriotic.
- The famous Macy’s fireworks display usually held over the East River in New York City has been televised nationwide on NBC since 1976. In 2009, the fireworks display was returned to the Hudson River for the first time since 2000 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s’s exploration of that river.
- The Boston Pops Orchestra has hosted a music and fireworks show over the Charles River Esplande called the “Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular” annually since 1973. The event has been broadcast nationally since 2003 on CBS.
- On the Capitol lawn in Washington, D.C., A Capitol Fourth, a free concert, precedes the fireworks and attracts over half a million people annually. If you don’t want to fight the traffic, you can just stay home and watch the program live over the local Public Broadcasting System (PBS) station.
I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the holiday than with The Star-Spangled Banner, this time by Whitney Houston. I remember when she performed this at the Super Bowl when the U.S. was still in the middle of an armed conflict. It was inspiring then, and I hope it will help make your holiday a great one today: