Independence Day
Independence Day
Should American pride be exhibited in one day, it would be July 4. This is the date when, in 1776, the Declaration of Independence came to existence. Although it was only the beginning of the Revolutionary War between 13 colonies and the British Empire, the American settlers’ hearts had already risen with hope.
Today, it is a federal holiday in all 50 states; every year, the joyful celebrations, such as parades, sports events and concerts culminate with gigantic, colorful firework displays. The most notable festivities and performances usually take place in New York City, San Francisco, Boston, Chicago, or Washington, D.C. Apart from fireworks, at noon military bases fire a “salute to the union”, one for each state. Independence Day is the National Day for the United States.
The Declaration of Independence was a result of a many people’s struggle for autonomy. Finally, a year after the beginning of the Revolutionary War (1775 - 1783), Thomas Paine published a bestseller: a pamphlet called “Common Sense,” which encouraged Americans to fight for the creation of a new country. The growing anti-British sentiments concluded in an underground voting of the Continental Congress on July 2, 1776, which almost entirely agreed on the desire for independence. The “Committee of Five”: Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Robert R. Livingston, Roger Sherman and John Adams validated the Declaration on July 4, and had its first official reading on July 8; August 2 was the day when delegates started to sign the document.
The first Independence Day took place in Philadelphia already in 1777. During the war, the holiday was based on the presumption that the British reign had to die out in America, which is why the figure of King George III was used for a mock funeral. The celebration was of course also filled with parades, fireworks and gunshots. Independence Day became an unpaid federal holiday in 1870, but that was changed in 1941, when federal employees started receiving regular wages for the day off.
On July 4, the entire nation is painted red, white, and blue, because the colors of the American flag are spread in fashion and decorations. The morning welcomes joyful parades, after which families go back home and spend the afternoon together; the evening is reserved for loud concerts and fireworks. The music characteristic for the day is the national anthem and other patriotic songs, such as “This Land Is Your Land” or “God Bless America”. Throughout the country, government officials and celebrities express their patriotism in public speeches and performances. For example, every year there is a highly popular broadcast of the free concert named A Capitol Fourth, which takes place on the west lawn of the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. Usually over a half million viewers appear.
Independence Day is a day off for federal employees and public institutions (e.g. schools and banks), but some private businesses are closed as well. If the holiday comes on Saturday, the government employees celebrate a free day on Friday; similarly, if July 4 is on Sunday, the federal institutions are closed on Monday. Whenever July 4 is observed on Friday or Monday, people use the long weekend to travel, usually to their families. That is why, due to traffic, Independence Day causes major problems on the road.
Nevertheless, July 4 is one of the happiest dates in the United States’ calendar: the nationwide joy is the epicenter of every American summer and citizens are joined in a mutual public pride.
In relation to these patriotic feelings there came to existence the movie Independence Day (1996), which presents July 4 as the date when the fate of all humanity is at stake. The motion picture has been widely acclaimed in the United States, because, apart from being a well-executed sci-fi action, it also touches upon the American virtues.