Happy Birthday America!! Americans across the country are ready to celebrate July 4 in a big way, especially since the pandemic pretty much prevented much celebrating last year.
Here in Deerfield Village, looks like things are all set — the porta-potty is prominently on display with a great view from our front yard. And tonight we’ll have the annual fireworks display set off way too near our houses — luckily we got a fair amount of rain the past couple of days, so the fire hazard should only be “moderate,”
Speaking of fireworks, they have been part of our Independence Day celebrations from the start. At the first July 4 celebration in Philadelphia in 1777, Americans fired a cannon 13 times in honor of the original 13 colonies. Thirteen “fireworks” were also fired in the city as part of the celebrations. Revelers in Boston also set off fireworks in 1777.
The fireworks tradition is probably a hold-over from a tradition of public celebrations in England. Fireworks have always been part of the festivities in England on Guy Fawkes Day, that commemorates a foiled plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament.
The tradition of fireworks in early Independence Day celebrations seem to have stemmed from a continuation of earlier kinds of political culture — but made more American…
July 4th just wouldn’t be Independence Day without fireworks (and porta-pottys.)
Have a safe and happy 4th.
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