I always wondered it we should be celebrating on the day the declaration was actually signed or at the end of the war and the treaty signed. Oh well. I have always loved July 4th, with picnics, gatherings, fireworks, decorating my bike with crepe paper, etc. Last night the children next door were jumping on their trampoline while singing the Star Spangle Banner. Funny and moving at the same time. The unity of the country was always strong on that day. Only hoping.
I have to work 4-10:30 tonight, which is okay. I've been wearing red, white, and blue all week, and on my breaks I've taken walks through the American Revolution-themed area of the park. I'm fascinated by how our country was started--what drove the founding men and women to the radical step of breaking ties with Great Britain--so I always look forward to the Fourth as an opportunity to reflect and celebrate.
Where I live, there’s a big plaque stating that the first official public July 4 celebration was held here in 1783 (most people realize other celebrations happened, but this town was big into recording/documenting, so we have the paperwork to claim “first”). The story goes that the pacifist Moravians who settled Salem, NC, suffered so greatly from the suspicions of nearby revolutionary and Tory groups alike, that they were thrilled by the war’s end and celebrated with a program of brass music and song in the town square. The tradition of playing brass music in the town square of “Old Salem” every July 4 continues to this day.
I’m not really into July 4, but I do love a good outdoor community band concert, enjoyed on the grass with a blanket and a packed picnic dinner. Those always feel wholesome and satisfying.
Ironically in the same year July 4 became a federal holiday we were at war in December.
Good observation!
I always wondered it we should be celebrating on the day the declaration was actually signed or at the end of the war and the treaty signed. Oh well. I have always loved July 4th, with picnics, gatherings, fireworks, decorating my bike with crepe paper, etc. Last night the children next door were jumping on their trampoline while singing the Star Spangle Banner. Funny and moving at the same time. The unity of the country was always strong on that day. Only hoping.
I have to work 4-10:30 tonight, which is okay. I've been wearing red, white, and blue all week, and on my breaks I've taken walks through the American Revolution-themed area of the park. I'm fascinated by how our country was started--what drove the founding men and women to the radical step of breaking ties with Great Britain--so I always look forward to the Fourth as an opportunity to reflect and celebrate.
Where I live, there’s a big plaque stating that the first official public July 4 celebration was held here in 1783 (most people realize other celebrations happened, but this town was big into recording/documenting, so we have the paperwork to claim “first”). The story goes that the pacifist Moravians who settled Salem, NC, suffered so greatly from the suspicions of nearby revolutionary and Tory groups alike, that they were thrilled by the war’s end and celebrated with a program of brass music and song in the town square. The tradition of playing brass music in the town square of “Old Salem” every July 4 continues to this day.
I’m not really into July 4, but I do love a good outdoor community band concert, enjoyed on the grass with a blanket and a packed picnic dinner. Those always feel wholesome and satisfying.