The 4th of July holiday is only days away, with its festive Red, White and Blue décor, themed pies and cakes, and the Capitol Fourth TV program. Of course, there will be the Buy One, Get one Half Off Big Blow Out sales, and fireworks when darkness descends.
But let's look at the beginnings of the celebration:
In 1777, thirteen gunshots were fired in salute, once at morning and once again as evening fell, on the 4th in Bristol, Rhode Island. Philadelphia celebrated the first time in a manner a modern American would find quite familiar: an official dinner for the Continental Congress, toasts, a 13 gun salute, speeches, prayers, music, parades, troop reviews, and fireworks. Ships were decked with red, white, and blue bunting in the harbor.
In 1778, General George Washington marked July 4 with a double ration of rum for his soldiers and an artillery salute . Across the Atlantic Ocean, John Adams and Ban Franklin held a dinner for their fellow Americans in Paris, France.
In 1779, July 4 fell on a Sunday. The holiday was celebrated on Monday, July 5.
In 1781 the Massachusetts General Court became the first state legislature to recognize July 4 as a state celebration.
In 1783, Moravians in Salem, NC held a celebration of July 4 with a challenging music program assembled titled "The Psalm of Joy." This is recognized as the first recorded celebration and is still celebrated there today.
In 1791 the first recorded use of the name "Independence Day" occurred.
In 1870, the US Congress made Independence Day an unpaid holiday for federal employees.
In 1938, Congress changed Independence Day to a paid federal holiday.
And from this time forward, the holiday has become more and more commercial. Everyone puts on the Red, White and blue, but do they truly recall the holidays meaning. When you celebrate this year, give that some thought! Once upon a time, a lot of folks paid dearly for us to enjoy our freedom today!
No comments:
Post a Comment