Photo by Micky**
People in New England started fighting the British in 1775. They fought for their independence. The Congress secretly voted for independence from Great Britain on July 2nd in 1776. On July 4th in 1776, just two days later, the Declaration of Independence was published. The Declaration of Independence was read in public for the first time on July 8th in 1776. On August 2nd in 1776, delegates started signing the Declaration of Independence. Independence Day was unpaid holiday for employees in 1870, until 1941.
John Adams wrote to his wife Abigail in a letter on July 3rd in 1776, how the first Independence Day would be celebrated. Adams described parade, games, shows, bells, guns, sports and bonfires throughout the country. However, the term Independence Day was used for the first time in 1791. One interesting fact is that both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson died on July 4th in 1826 exactly 50 years after the declaration was adopted and both of them were signers of the Declaration of Independence and presidents of the United States.
Other important thing is that each tribe of Native Americans, who lived in the country, had its own government and nation prior to the settlers from Europe. Americans celebrate the Independence Day each year on July 4th, and it’s a day of family celebrations with barbecues and picnics, showing a great deal of emphasis on the political freedom in American tradition. Activities associated with this day include sporting events, such as three-legged races, baseball games and swimming activities and hotdog or watermelon eating competitions.
A lot of people put the American flag outside their buildings or homes. Also, many communities arrange fireworks which are usually followed by patriotic music. Fireworks which are most impressive are shown on TV. Sometimes employees use several days of their vacation to create a long weekend in order to escape the heat at their favorite vacation spot or beach. The Independence Day is a patriotic holiday which is used for celebration of all positive aspects of the United States.
A lot of politicians go at public places in order to show their support for the people of their country, heritage and history. But above all things, people express and give thanks for the liberties and freedom fought by the ancestors of many today’s Americans. National monument which is associated with the Independence Day is the Statue of Liberty. The Independence Day is celebrated on Monday, July 5th, if July 4th is a Sunday and if July 4th is a Saturday, then it’s celebrated on Friday.
Schools, government offices and some businesses are closed. Sometimes, employees use their vacation days in order to create a long weekend. Therefore, this can cause congestion in some places, usually towards destinations which are very popular. During the Independence Day there are a lot of parades, fireworks, shows, and public events. It can cause local disruption to traffic and public transit systems often don’t work on their regular timetables.
