Happy Independence Day
Nathan’s National Hot Dog Eating Contest Held at Coney Island Courtesy of YouTube
For me the 4th of July means good times with family and friends, great food, and relaxation while I watch an enticing Bay Area waterfront fireworks display. As you can see in the above video the 4th of July can be a very different experience for each of us. I just did a little internet search to see what Independence Day means for other people. Let’s start with some interesting historical facts.
The 4th of July is a federal holiday that signifies the United States adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. This is when the United States declared independence from Great Britain. Fireworks were first associated with the 4th of July in 1777.
Interestingly enough, “Independence Day” as it would come to be known was not established by the US Congress as a federal holiday until 1870. At this time it was deemed an unpaid federal holiday. That must have sounded bogus for the financially ambitious federal government employees in 1870. It was not until 1941 that the US Congress made Independence Day a paid holiday.
Today, the 4th of July seems to mean different things to different people. I found it interesting how people seem to practice different customs. Check out what the rest of the United States is up to on the 4th of July.
The Midwest’s largest fireworks display, called Rhythm & Booms, happens on the Saturday before the 4th of July in Warner Park in Madison, Wisconsin. In its 15th year, an estimated crowd of 300,000 people view the fireworks display, which is synchronized to music.
In Provo, Utah, America’s Freedom Festival is one of the countries largest. It includes one of the largest Fourth of July parades, and the Stadium of Fire.
The town of Bristol, Rhode Island is noted for having the oldest, continuous Independence Day celebration in the United States.
James River Assembly in Ozark, Missouri, hosts the annual “I Love America” Celebration at the Springfield Underground. In 1997, 13,000 people showed up for the first event. In 2006, 120,000 people attended the celebration. Highlights include the choir’s “Living Flag”, the “Concert in the Sky”, nearly 100 games and activities, and a four-hour air show.
As you can see above, in New York hot dogs are all the Independence Day rage. The Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest is held in Coney Island, Brooklyn. It supposedly started on July 4, 1916, as a way to settle a dispute among four immigrants as to who was the most patriotic. It was estimated that Americans would consume about 150 million hot dogs on July 4, 2006, or almost one hot dog for every other person in the United States.
Minor League Baseball and Major League Baseball games are also played on Independence Day.
Since 1959, NASCAR has held the Pepsi 400 on July 4 or the Saturday of Independence Day weekend.
On the Capitol lawn in Washington, D.C., a free concert, A Capitol Fourth, precedes the fireworks and attracts over half a million people annually.
Where ever you may find yourself on July 4th, 2007, we are wishing you a happy Independence Day.
