Miami, FL

Have a happy and safe 4th of July, Miami!

From Wikipedia:

Observance

• In 1776, John Adams declared, "The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epocha in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forevermore."^[3]

• In 1777, thirteen guns were fired, once at morning and again as evening fell, on July 4 in Bristol, Rhode Island. Philadelphia celebrated the first anniversary in a manner a modern American would find quite familiar: an official dinner for the Continental Congress, toasts, 13-gun salutes, speeches, prayers, music, parades, troop reviews, and fireworks. Ships were decked with red, white, and blue bunting.
• 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, ambassadors John Adams and Benjamin 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, North Carolina, held the first celebration of July 4 in the country with a challenging music program assembled by Johann Friedrich Peter. This work was titled "The Psalm of Joy".
• In 1791 was the first recorded use of the name "Independence Day".
• In 1870, the U.S. Congress made Independence Day an unpaid holiday for federal employees.^[4]
• In 1941, Congress changed Independence Day to a paid federal holiday. The residents of Vicksburg, Mississippi, celebrated Independence Day for the first time since July 4, 1863, when the Siege of Vicksburg ended with a Union victory during the American Civil War.

Customs

Celebration with fireworks over Miami, Florida, USA on American Independence Day. Bank of America Tower is also lit with the red, white and blue color scheme.

Independence Day, the only holiday that celebrates the United States, is a national holiday marked by patriotic displays. Similar to other summer-themed events, Independence Day celebrations often take place outdoors. Independence Day is a federal holiday, so all non-essential federal institutions (like the postal service and federal courts) are closed on that day. Many politicians make it a point on this day to appear at a public event to praise the nation’s heritage, laws, history, society, and people.

Families often celebrate Independence Day with a picnic or barbecue, and take advantage of the day off and in some years, long weekend to gather with relatives. Decorations (e.g., streamers, balloons, and clothing) are generally colored red, white, and blue, the colors of the American flag. Parades often are in the morning, while fireworks displays occur in the evening at such places as parks, fairgrounds, or town squares.

Independence Day fireworks are often accompanied by patriotic songs such as the national anthem ("The Star-Spangled Banner"), "God Bless America", "America the Beautiful", "My Country, ‘Tis of Thee", "This Land Is Your Land", "Stars and Stripes Forever", and, regionally, "Yankee Doodle" in northeastern states and "Dixie" in southern states. Some of the lyrics recall images of the Revolutionary War or the War of 1812.

Firework shows are held in many states, and many fireworks are sold for personal use or as an alternative to a public show. Safety concerns have led some states to ban fireworks or limit the sizes and types allowed. Illicit traffic transfers many fireworks from less restrictive states.

Major displays are held in New York on the East River, in Chicago on Lake Michigan, Boston on the Charles River, in St. Louis on the Mississippi River, and on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. During the annual Windsor-Detroit International Freedom Festival, Detroit, Michigan, and Windsor, Ontario host one of the world’s largest fireworks displays, over the Detroit River, to celebrate both American Independence Day and Canada Day.

While the official observance always falls on July 4th, participation levels may vary dependent upon which day of the week the 4th falls. If the holiday falls in the middle of the week, some fireworks displays and celebrations may take place during the weekend for convenience, again, varying by region.

More after the jump.

Other events

Main article: July 4

• America’s Freedom Festival at Provo, in Utah, is one of the largest freedom festivals. It includes one of the largest Independence Day parades, and the Stadium of Fire.^{[citation needed]}
• Every year in the U.S.A., the Rainbow Family gather for prayer for World Peace. With attendance ranging from 10,000 to 25,000 or more participants, most refer to it as Interdependance Day as all live in primitive conditions by choice, in State Forests and rely upon one another for the first week of July. Participants on Independence Day pray, meditate, or are silent on the morning of Independence Day, ending in a verbal group expression, Aum or Om. The Rainbow Gathering takes place annually for the first week of July.
• The Midwest’s largest fireworks display, called "Red, White and Boom", happens on the last weekday before Independence Day in Downtown Columbus, Ohio. An estimated crowd of 500,000 to 750,000 attend and thousands more people view the fireworks display in HD on NBC Columbus, which is synchronized to music by 97.9 WNCI.
• The town of Bristol, Rhode Island, is noted for having the oldest, continuous Independence Day celebration in the United States (since 1785).
• James River Assembly in Ozark, Missouri, hosts the annual "I Love America" Celebration at the Springfield Underground. In 1997, 13,000 people showed up for the first event. In 2006, 120,000 people attended the celebration. Highlights include the choir’s "Living Flag", the "Concert in the Sky", nearly 100 games and activities, and a four-hour air show.
• A colorful Independence Day event is the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City, which supposedly started on July 4, 1916 as a way to settle a dispute among four immigrants as to who was the most patriotic. It was estimated that Americans would consume about 150 million hot dogs on July 4, 2006, or almost one hot dog for every other person in the United States.
• New York City also hosts the famous Macy’s Fireworks Display over the East River televised nationwide.
• In Boston, a fireworks show is held over the Charles River Esplanade with the Boston Pops playing in the background. In recent years it too is televised nationwide.
• Major League Baseball games are also played on Independence Day. Since 1959, NASCAR has held the Coke Zero 400 (formerly the "Firecracker 400") on July 4 or the Saturday of Independence Day weekend.
• On the Capitol lawn in Washington, D.C., a free concert, "A Capitol Fourth", precedes the fireworks and attracts over half a million people annually.
• In a remarkable series of coincidences, both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, two founding fathers of the U.S., and the only two men who signed the Declaration of Independence to become President of the United States, died on the same day: July 4, 1826, which was the United States’ 50th anniversary. President James Monroe died exactly five years later, on July 4, 1831, though he did not sign the Declaration of Independence.
• The City of Urbandale, Iowa celebrates the biggest nationwide celebration in a location with a population less than 50,000
• Seward, Nebraska is known for its Independence Day celebration. Dating back to 1868 they have honored and celebrated Independence Day, the 2008 celebration will mark its 140th celebration.
• The annual 10 kilometer Peachtree Road Race is held in Atlanta.