On the Fourth of July, families and individuals across the nation partake in celebrations in an “All-American” way: outdoor barbecues, parades, patriotic songs, plenty of flags, and of course, fireworks!
This national holiday was established in 1938 to celebrate the adoption of our Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. This fun video from 1940 helped to inspire theater audiences to join in:
Our family also joined in the fun, of course! Our delicious patriotic feast included hot dogs, hamburgers, a variety of cold veggie and pasta salads, watermelon and blueberries. We enjoyed ice-cold glasses of Meadow Tea, a family tradition that stems from our Pennsylvania heritage (a simple recipe of mint leaves, water & sugar – delicious and refreshing!) After our ice-cream and cake dessert, we set off a backyard fireworks and sparklers.
After the sun set, we joined our neighbors and friends in a fireworks display right on our street. Everyone contributed sets of sparklers, crackers, backyard rockets, strobes and flares. The kids squealed. The dogs barked. The adults joked. For a few hours, we were dazzled by light displays to commemorate our freedom!
Nothing is more patriotic than the American flag and these neat resources will have you celebrating year round:
- Capitol Flag Program: Request a flag that has flown over the Capitol
- “Our Flag” Congressional Publication: Learn more about the histories and customs of our flag
- Flag Etiquette: Some tips from the Veterans of Foreign Wars
Happy Fourth of July! Hope yours was great…
You can view more photos of our day at my Independence Day Photo Album on Flickr!