Are you ready for some noise? We are! We’re also looking forward to some BBQ and time with friends and family.
Our office will be closed Thursday, July 4 in observance of Independence Day. And that got us wondering about early Independence Day celebrations. When was the first? And how do all those fireworks (and sparklers, and noisemakers) come into play? Here are some fun facts about the upcoming holiday:
- The first Independence Day celebration took place in Philadelphia in 1776. Somewhat surprisingly, it happened on July 8th. Festivities included the ringing of the Liberty Bell and the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence
- Hot dog! Americans consume nearly 150 million hot dogs every year when celebrating the 4th
- Despite its early roots and widespread celebration for years, the Fourth of July was not declared a national holiday until 1941.
- Just after the Declaration of Independence was approved in 1776, John Adams wrote his wife to share his notion that the day should be celebrated with illuminations (an old-fashioned word for fireworks) “from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.”