Each year on July 4, The United States celebrates INDEPENDENCE DAY, which is commonly known as THE FOURTH OF JULY!
This day is a federal holiday which commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain.
Political speeches and ceremonies along with fireworks, parades, barbecues, carnivals, fairs, picnics, baseball games, class reunions and family reunions take place all across the country celebrating our independence.
- July 4, 1777 – The First Anniversary – Bristol, Rhode Island, fired thirteen gunshots in salute: once at morning and once again at evening. Philadelphia hosted an official dinner for the Continental Congress, toasts, 13-gun salutes, speeches, prayers, music, parades, troop reviews, and fireworks. Ships were decorated with red, white and blue bunting.
- July 4, 1778 – General George Washington gave his soldiers a double ration of rum and an artillery salute. On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, ambassadors John Adams and Benjamin Franklin hosted a dinner for their fellow Americans in Paris, France.
- July 4, 1779 – The holiday fell on a Sunday so the celebrations were held on Monday, July 5.
- July 4, 1781 – The Massachusetts General Court became the first state legislature to recognize July 4 as a state celebration.
- July 4, 1783 – Moravians in Salem, North Carolina held a celebration with a challenging music program assembled by Johann Friedrich Peter. The work was titled “The Psalm of Joy”.
- July 4, 1791 – The first recorded use of the name “Independence Day” occurred.
- July 4, 1820 – The first Fourth of July celebration in Eastport Maine was held and it remains the largest in the state.
- July 4, 1870 – The United States Congress made Independence Day an unpaid holiday for federal employees.
- July 4, 1938 – The United States Congress changed Independence Day to a paid federal holiday.
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Along with the fireworks, there are songs associated with the Fourth of July holiday, some of which include: our 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”, ”God Bless the U.S.A.”, “Yankee Doodle” and “Dixie”.
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http://nationaldaycalendar.com/
What are you doing for the 4th of July?
Nothing. My older two are going to the town's fireworks with friends. DH, our youngest, & I are just going to stay home and watch fireworks on tv. I have to work tomorrow so I can't be up late.
Hell if I know... it's supposed to rain here all day! :(
It's also my mom's birthday... this is the one day that she has this horrible complex that all of the celebrating is just for her. Thank you to my grandparents for that shit! She always says "Ohh look the whole country is celebrating my birthday... I always knew I was special!" and I always say back "Yeah special, but not the special you think!"
My mom and I don't have the greatest relationship lately! She's been trying to take over my wedding planning, she contradicts my disciplining of my boys and tries to talk down to DF even when there is no reason to. I don't know what has gotten into her damn head lately but she's a real bitch to be around.
Quoting atlmom2:
Nothing really. Dd's friends are busy or gone. Dh is in Gettysburg or we would go on our boat and watch fireworks. We will watch shows on tv. If it was warmer dd and I might go sit on the boat and watch fireworks.
I live close to the area where the re enactment is this week. We've been hearing cannon fire all day, lol.
Quoting mumsy2three:
Quoting atlmom2:
Nothing really. Dd's friends are busy or gone. Dh is in Gettysburg or we would go on our boat and watch fireworks. We will watch shows on tv. If it was warmer dd and I might go sit on the boat and watch fireworks.I live close to the area where the re enactment is this week. We've been hearing cannon fire all day, lol.
They're totally unprepared, the powers that be were still discussing how to change traffic patterns through Gettysburg the week before all of this started. My SIL's family came up from VA this morning, they said the traffic on Route 15 was backed up for miles and miles at the ramp that leads here, thankfully she knows how to get home via other off ramps so they were able to come through the back way and not have to sit in traffic. I knew it would be crazy busy this year I figured there would have been much more planning for this year's events.
I hope things improved for your husband too, hopefully he enjoyed what he saw of the re enactment.
Quoting atlmom2:
Took dh 3 hours in stopped traffic to get there. He was disappointed they were unorganized and not ready. Haven't heard from him the rest of the day so I hope things improved.
Quoting mumsy2three:
Quoting atlmom2:
Nothing really. Dd's friends are busy or gone. Dh is in Gettysburg or we would go on our boat and watch fireworks. We will watch shows on tv. If it was warmer dd and I might go sit on the boat and watch fireworks.I live close to the area where the re enactment is this week. We've been hearing cannon fire all day, lol.
Alma College
- mumsy2three
on Jul. 4, 2013 at 8:37 AM