Happy 4th Of July To Those That Celebrate

July 4th (also known as Independence Day) is an annual American holiday that falls on, you guessed it, the 4th of July. While you’re thinking of fun 4th of July ideas for this year’s celebration (like planning a trip to see the best fireworks, shopping great sales or sharing meaningful quotes on social media), you may wonder about the 4th of July’s history and its meaning to the USA as a nation.

This day is very significant in American history. It marks the day the Declaration of Independence was adopted (July 4, 1776) and the United States officially became its own nation. American citizens celebrate America’s birthday with festivals, parades, fireworks, barbecues and other festive activities.

America declared its independence from Great Britain. In order to fully understand the significance of Independence Day and what happened in 1776, we need to go back in history a bit. Before America was its own country, it was comprised of 13 Colonies established by the Brits: New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Delaware, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. The first Colony was settled in Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607. European countries, especially Great Britain, continued to colonize America throughout the 17th century and a good portion of the 18th century. By 1775, an estimated 2.5 million settlers lived in the 13 Colonies.

How Do You Celebrate July 4th?

Many modern Independence Day traditions stem from America’s early independence celebrations. People would attend bonfires, concerts and parades to celebrate their new nation. It was also common for the Declaration of Independence to be read aloud, followed by muskets and cannons firing. It’s safe to say that the earliest Americans celebrated the 4th of July loudly and proudly!

For me personally, I don’t really celebrate too much. Mainly because I have two cats and like most animals, my cats don’t like the sound of fireworks. It scares them to a point where they want to hide and just get away from it all.

While I think fireworks are pretty to watch, I don’t really participate in popping them either. Again, mainly because I have cats that don’t like them. I’ll sit outside and watch them, or even a couple of years ago I was in the nations capital, Washington DC, for July 4th which was a super cool experience as it’s something I had never experienced before.

So the question remains, how do you celebrate July 4th? Tell me in the comments below and tell me what you do as a tradition for this day, or what new stuff you might be doing this year to celebrate America’s independence.

Happy July 4th from myself and my family to all of you who read my blog at any time! I hope you all have a safe and happy holiday today!