Celebrating Independence

Mural in Nashua, NH

Today is Independence Day, a day of celebration that commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence by the United States on July 4, 1776. 

It's the most iconic American holiday and traditionally is the biggest holiday of the summer season when many folks travel by cars, planes or trains as they head off for summer vacation time. Many stores celebrate with sales.

Pyrotechnic displays, more commonly called fireworks, usually cap off July 4 celebrations in many U.S. towns; however, recent shootings have caused many folks to be nervous about loud sounds in their neighborhoods. 

Online Source:  Compound Interest Website

Fireworks release vibrant colors skyward, but unfortunately the colors come from chemical compounds that release smoke and gases into the air. Environmentalists have long been concerned that fireworks cause too much air pollution. According to one online environmental site: The temporary enjoyment of fireworks releases contaminants that not only affect air quality, but can contribute to climate change, including carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen, sulphur dioxide, and particulate matter.

Mishandled fireworks have caused serious injury to many people. In 2022, there were over 10,000 fireworks-related injuries, nearly three quarters of which happened during the one-month period around July 4th. Most victims were male, burns were the most common injury and most came from firecrackers and sparklers.

Nashua, NH pyrotechnics

It's not only the environmental or safety impact of fireworks that's dampened the spirits of many holiday celebrants today. According to several recent articles, many Americans are not celebrating the holiday the same as before, whether for reasons of traffic, crowds or the current political climate, and overall world events. Still others sense a loss of patriotism.

Nevertheless, many favorite traditions will prevail on this holiday, including parades, concerts, singing patriotic songs, baseball games, carnivals, and family gatherings. 

Here's some unique New England trivia about this American holiday:

• Massachusetts was the first state to make July 4th an official state holiday July 3, 1781
• Bristol, Rhode Island, has the longest running 4th of July parade
• It's a tradition in New England to eat salmon on the 4th of July (new one to me)
• In 1866, a July 4 firecracker started the Great Portland Fire in Maine. The conflagration, the worst to date in the U.S. burned 1800 buildings. 

And, even more July 4 trivia . . .

• The Liberty Bell is tapped 13 times on July 4; it hasn't been rung since 1846
• There have been 27 different versions of the U.S. flag
• Only one U.S. president was born on July 4: Calvin Coolidge (1872)
• Three presidents have died on July 4: John Adams and Thomas Jefferson (1826) and James Monroe (1831)
• President Zachary Taylor fell ill at a July 4 celebration and died July 9, 1850
• President John Adams thought Independence Day should be celebrated on July 2
• Only two men signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776: John Hancock and Charles Thompson
• The national anthem wasn't The Star-Spangled Banner until 1931
• Nathan's Famous 4th of July hot dog eating contest began in 1916
• One World Trade Center in New York was designed to be 1,776 feet tall
• The Pennsylvania Evening Post was the first newspaper to print the Declaration of Independence
• There are 31 towns in the U.S. named Liberty; largest is Liberty, Missouri
• There were only some 2.5 million people living in the U.S. in 1776
• Over 16,000 fireworks displays occur each year; Americans spend over $1 billion on fireworks every July 4

As for Grenville and myself, we're spending today at home with no family or friends gathering, no downtown parade or concert, and no shopping (not even online). We're not even cooking traditional hamburgers and hotdogs; Grenville is preparing a surf and turf dinner😋.

Nashua, NH, 7-day forecast

It's just as well as today's forecast doesn't look encouraging for any outdoor holiday activities. The City of Nashua moved its annual fireworks display to Wed, July 5.

No matter where or how you're spending this holiday, Enjoy it safely!