Flags wave, grills fire up and fireworks light the night sky — the Fourth of July is here, bringing with it all the sights, sounds and flavors of summer’s biggest celebration.
From backyard barbecues to community parades, the Fourth of July fills neighborhoods with laughter, music and the unmistakable buzz of patriotism.
But why do we celebrate? One of the nation’s longest-standing traditions, the holiday marks the official founding of the United States.
What does the Fourth of July celebrate?
Known now as a day of patriotism and enjoying time off from work, the Fourth of July began the journey to becoming a quintessential American holiday in 1776, when the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence.
Although 12 of the 13 American colonies had already approved the resolution by July 2, 1776, even prompting John Adams to write his daughter with predictions of future July Second festivities, the document declaring independence from Britain wasn’t officially adopted until July 4.
When did Fourth of July become a federal holiday?
Some Americans began celebrating the very same year, though the practice wouldn’t become widespread until the aftermath of the War of 1812.
Congress finally passed a bill making Independence Day a federal holiday on June 28, 1870. In 1941, the law was amended to make it a paid holiday for federal employees.
Why do we pop fireworks on Fourth of July?
Fireworks displays are perhaps the most iconic of all Fourth of July revelries. The first celebration came in earnest on July 4, 1777, described on July 5 in the Pennsylvania Evening Post as a demonstration of “joy and festivities.”
Ships “dressed in the gayest manner, with the colors of the United States and streamers displayed” approached the city and fired off 13 cannon shots, one for each colony-turned-state. Later in the evening, 13 fireworks were set off in the city commons in Philadelphia and Boston, which the Evening Post described as a “grand exhibition of fireworks … and the city was beautifully illuminated.”
