Independence Day Adds Spark To An Otherwise Dull Month
Everett Taylor
What a difference a day makes, a songwriter once penned. That observation can easily be applied to the month of July.
But for Independence Day, the seventh month easily could go down as the most uneventful period of weeks in the whole calendar. Search as one might, there is very little in the way of other special days or observances to be found.
Because of the Fourth of July, however, the month is filled with excitement as the spirit of the holiday and the celebration of independence that goes with it extends well beyond the day itself.
Through the history of the nation, Independence Day, commonly known as The Fourth of July, has been a special occasion with special observances, usually featuring plenty of joyful noise.
It was on July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was adopted, declaring independence from Great Britain.
Fireworks and loud detonations have been associated with celebration of the event since 1777, the first anniversary of the adoption. In 1777, 13 guns were fired, one in the morning and again as evening fell, on July 4 in Bristol, R.I., according to Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia.
Philadelphia celebrated the first anniversary with an official dinner for the Continental Congress, toasts, 13-gun salutes, speeches, prayers, music, parades, troop reviews and fireworks.
That set a pattern for Independence Day celebrations that has endured through the years.
Independence Day didn't become an official holiday until 1870 when the U.S. Congress made such a designation, and that was on an unpaid basis for federal employees. How times have changed.
Outside of the larger cities, Fourth of July celebrations often were rather muted in the period around the 1930s and 1940s. For rural residents, who composed a much larger part of the population those years than today, it was always remembered as Independence Day, but celebrations were modest. Fireworks were more common during that period at Christmas and New Year's in those areas, and schools were out, so little in the way of a "holiday" was experienced.
In the year 2007, however, opportunities abound for big and usually noisy celebrations.
Many communities of various sizes have Independence Day gatherings, with patriotic music and speeches, picnics, entertainment and sometimes jet plane flyovers. All topped, of course, by a spectacular fireworks display after dark.
Even the couch potatoes can get into the patriotic mode quite easily on the Fourth of July.
Television screens of all sizes will be filled with the most spectacular of fireworks displays to the point that watchers might get the idea that they are seeing replays. Several will be accompanied by orchestral concerts or special programs.
Parades, baseball games, picnics, barbecues and any number of other events also are usually on the day's schedule.
It all comes together to create a spirit and sense of national pride that provides a lingering boost for the whole month of July.
But for Independence Day, the seventh month easily could go down as the most uneventful period of weeks in the whole calendar. Search as one might, there is very little in the way of other special days or observances to be found.
Because of the Fourth of July, however, the month is filled with excitement as the spirit of the holiday and the celebration of independence that goes with it extends well beyond the day itself.
Through the history of the nation, Independence Day, commonly known as The Fourth of July, has been a special occasion with special observances, usually featuring plenty of joyful noise.
It was on July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was adopted, declaring independence from Great Britain.
Fireworks and loud detonations have been associated with celebration of the event since 1777, the first anniversary of the adoption. In 1777, 13 guns were fired, one in the morning and again as evening fell, on July 4 in Bristol, R.I., according to Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia.
Philadelphia celebrated the first anniversary with an official dinner for the Continental Congress, toasts, 13-gun salutes, speeches, prayers, music, parades, troop reviews and fireworks.
That set a pattern for Independence Day celebrations that has endured through the years.
Independence Day didn't become an official holiday until 1870 when the U.S. Congress made such a designation, and that was on an unpaid basis for federal employees. How times have changed.
Outside of the larger cities, Fourth of July celebrations often were rather muted in the period around the 1930s and 1940s. For rural residents, who composed a much larger part of the population those years than today, it was always remembered as Independence Day, but celebrations were modest. Fireworks were more common during that period at Christmas and New Year's in those areas, and schools were out, so little in the way of a "holiday" was experienced.
In the year 2007, however, opportunities abound for big and usually noisy celebrations.
Many communities of various sizes have Independence Day gatherings, with patriotic music and speeches, picnics, entertainment and sometimes jet plane flyovers. All topped, of course, by a spectacular fireworks display after dark.
Even the couch potatoes can get into the patriotic mode quite easily on the Fourth of July.
Television screens of all sizes will be filled with the most spectacular of fireworks displays to the point that watchers might get the idea that they are seeing replays. Several will be accompanied by orchestral concerts or special programs.
Parades, baseball games, picnics, barbecues and any number of other events also are usually on the day's schedule.
It all comes together to create a spirit and sense of national pride that provides a lingering boost for the whole month of July.
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