It’s July 4th……Happy Birthday, America!! Today we celebrate your Independence. But wait a minute….let’s just back up a little bit. Did you know that July 4, 1776, was not the day that the Continental Congress decided to declare Independence? That happened on July 2, 1776. Also, it wasn’t the day that Thomas Jefferson wrote the first draft of The Declaration of Independence. That was June 1776, and it wasn’t the date it was signed. That was August 2, 1776. Do you have all of that?
So what really did happen on July 4, 1776, you ask? Well, the Continental Congress approved the final wording of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. The final draft was submitted on July 2, 1776, and all finally agreed on the edits and changes. July 4, 1776, became the date that was included in The Declaration of Independence. The fancy handwritten copy was signed in August, the copy is displayed in the National Archives in Washington, D.C.
So when people think of The Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776, is the date that is remembered. The celebration of the Fourth of July became more common as the years went on, and in 1870 almost a hundred years after the Declaration was written. Congress declared July 4 to be a national holiday as part of a bill to officially recognize several holidays including Christmas. Further legislation about national holidays including July 4 was passed in 1939-1941.
“There’s No Place Like Home…….God Bless America.”
Time To Celebrate
Did you know that the Fourth of July is one of America’s most cherished holidays? It’s when we celebrate the nation with a day off. This is the time when families and friends will all gather together for parties to celebrate with cookouts, a lot of food, drinks, outdoor events. Plus plenty of fireworks. According to the Pyrotechnics Association, around 15,000 fireworks displays will take place on the Fourth of July Holiday. Most small towns will end up spending anywhere from $8000-$15,000 for a fireworks display, while larger cities going well over into the millions. For instance, the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular will average more than $2 million.
Fireworks, though their beauty is breathtaking, can cause serious injury or even be deadly if not handled properly. Most major cities have banned the use of fireworks, leaving that to the professionals. But there are many areas that still do allow the sale and use of them. If you decide to purchase your own and use at your own risk….then my advise and the advice of many others is to make sure an adult is present when using these fireworks. It simply isn’t worth the injury. Please…by all means, keep your pets away from the fireworks. The noise really does scare them. They just don’t understand whats going on. So Stay Safe…..for your sake and theirs.
Well…Hot Dog! Eat Up!!
According to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council around 150 million or more………that’s how many hot dogs will be consumed on the Fourth of July. Well, can you believe that’s enough for hot dogs to stretch across from Washington D.C. to Los Angeles more than five times? According to the National Retail Federation, American’s will spend around $6.7 billion on food and drinks when the Fourth of July parties comes to an end.
Alcohol is a whole other subject. According to the Beer Institute, more beer is sold on and around the Fourth of July holiday than during any other time throughout the year. Typically, Americans will spend a total of $1 billion on beer for the Fourth of July festivities and more than $ 560 million on wine. That makes for a LOT of designated drives!!!!
True Fact!
Did you know that two former presidents…..John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died on July 4, 1826……50 years to the day after the Declaration of Independence was adopted. However, they’re not the only presidents to have died on the Forth. James Monroe….the nation’s fifth president….died just a few years later on July 4, 1831.
On a brighter note…..the country’s 30th Commander-in-Chief, Calvin Coolidge was born on July 4, 1872.
Go Ahead…….Celebrate!!!
“Eat, drink and be merry!” Enjoy your family and friends and even some Fourth of July sales at the stores! Eat until your little heart’s desire, but easy on the drinking! Let your hair down and take a swim. Have a good time and kick back and enjoy the fun.
From my house to yours…….“Happy Fourth of July!”
