On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress declared that the thirteen colonies of America were no longer subject (and subordinate) to the monarch of Britain and were now united, free, and independent states.
Of course, these days, many of us also associate the holiday with barbecues, fireworks, parades, baseball, and other festive, beginning-of-summer activities. So we thought it would be fun to reminisce today about some of our favorite memories celebrating America’s birthday, or whatever makes the day special to us.
Lisa Q. Mathews
I grew up in a CT town that was once burned by the British, and as kids we were never allowed to forget it. Any walk by the town hall, the village green, the schools and libraries, endless antique homes, or local cemeteries meant plaques with mini history lessons. There was always a cannon to be fired, and none of us will ever forget the (literally) years of Bicentennial prep (even the fire hydrants were painted red white and blue). I still own numerous “parchment” copies of the Declaration of Independence, handed out on yearly class field trips to a Colonial-life-interpretation center.
But the 4th always brought a major bonus: fireworks. We’d head in droves to the beaches like Colonial-era lobsters (they were so plentiful people hated them), where we’d lie face-up on blankets to watch the elaborate displays over Long Island Sound. Each Independence Day, I still dress carefully in red, white & blue (I have plenty of choices in my closet) and check the weather report every hour or so to be *sure* it won’t rain on my nightfall parade. This year, I’m returning to CT. I’ve seen the extended forecast, and I’m already negotiating with the weather gods. If they are uncooperative, I guess there’s always the telecast from the Esplanade with the Boston Pops.
Ellen Byron
I don’t have a single memory of the Fourth of July from my childhood. Not. One. But I do have plenty from Eliza’s childhood. A nearby neighborhood where some of our friends live always hosts a block party on the Fourth. There are drinks and hot dogs and then the kids climb on an old fire truck for a ride around the neighborhood. We would do this in the late morning, making sure we were home before the worst heat of the day. We live in the Studio City hills and up until last year, CBS Radford – the studio in Studio City – would set off fireworks that we could see a lot of from our backyard. We used to have a big play set in the backyard with a little house on top of it, so Eliza would climb to the top and we’d climb as high as we could without our adult weight endangering the thing, and watch as much of the fireworks as we could see – which was quite a bit.
We’ve spent the last few Fourths with friends who have a home in Tahoe Donner, so we’ve gone to the local parade in Truckee. I absolutely love it. But there’s nothing like being able to watch fireworks from your own backyard.
Vickie Fee
As a kid, the Fourth of July often found us getting together with family and friends at my Uncle Virgil and Aunt Doris’s farm in Tennessee. After a potluck lunch, rock salt and ice filled old-fashioned ice cream makers, then stainless steel inserts were filled with a prepared mixture of milk, cream, sugar, vanilla – and some wonderful extras like peaches or strawberries. Some of the ice cream makers had to be hand cranked, others were electric. But, what I remember most was having to wait what seemed like forever to get two scoops of deliciousness spooned into my bowl. Nothing tastes more like summer to me than grilled hamburgers on Memorial Day and homemade ice cream on Independence Day.
Cynthia Kuhn
So many of my cherished July Fourth memories have to do with watching fireworks: when I was growing up, my dad used to put on fantastic firework shows for the whole neighborhood! Plus, there’s nothing like the joy of waving a sparkler around.
Also, the July Fourth parade is one of my favorite things every year. Partly because you never know who or what will come around the corner next. Sometimes there are dancers. Sometimes there are vintage cars. Sometimes there are llamas. It’s magical.
Leslie Karst
We lived in Columbus, Ohio for seven years while my dad taught at the Ohio State Law School, and other than the cold, snowy winters and the humid summers filled with cicadas and fireflies, my most vivid memory of that time is of the July Fourth parade that occurred just down the street from our house: shiny red firetrucks with dalmatians on the front seat, cowboys astride prancing horses, and the high school marching band blasting out John Philip Sousa.
Then afterwards, all the neighborhood kids would congregate at my family’s house to decorate our bikes and wagons with red, white, and blue crepe paper and balloons, and we’d have our own special parade, riding back and fourth along our long blacktop driveway, while my mom blasted march music for us out the window from the living room hifi. How fun was that!
Kathleen Valenti
My most memorable Fourth of July memory was during the summer of 1988. Our high school marching band headed east to participate in a national competition, and we topped off the week-long trip by marching in Philadelphia’s Independence Day parade, giving a super-short “concert” (with about 12 people in attendance) on the White House lawn, and hanging out (by ourselves! without adults!) at the National Mall. It was a heady day, not only because I’d checked several items off my band geek bucket list, but because I’d never known that kind of freedom before. (I was also delirious from heatstroke thanks to my wool uniform and towering furry hat—but that’s another story.)
My friends and I did touristy things, and I ended up meeting a cute boy from Seattle who had been turned loose by his family to enjoy the day on his own. The boy tagged along with our group. He and I hit it off. In something like a scene from Grease—or Love American Style—the day ended with Cute Boy kissing me as Fourth of July fireworks blazed above us. I ended up being late back to the band bus and earning the ire of our teacher. Totally worth it.
Readers, what are some of your favorite 4th of July memories? Drop us a note in the comments below!
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We celebrated by going on a family picnic to one of the local parks. We used to pull up to the local ice house (can you imagine how far back that was) and crushed ice would come down a chute and cover the food in our galvanized tub. Later we would make homemade peach ice cream using an ice cream churn with a crank. We used to fight over who would get to turn the crank. In clearing out my mother’s home recently, we found the old churn–waiting for another 4th of July celebration.
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That sounds just about perfect, Grace! Happy Fourth!
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Grace, I love that you found that. And all of these homemade ice cream memories make me want ice cream!
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I hope you’re planning to use that churn, Grace!!
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Homemade ice cream is the best! Enjoy it and the 4th!
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My grandfather always had bottle rockets and sparklers. My siblings and I danced around their backyard with the sparklers, while he set off the rockets out of real glass Coke bottles.
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Love the “real Coke bottles.” I’m feeling an awesome ad idea here…Kathy?
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Ha ha, Lisa! Yes!! Seems ready-made for an ad…perhaps one that comes with a waiver! Sounds like a great celebration, Liz!!
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As a kid, my family would buy some fireworks to set off in front of our house. You know, the kind you set in the street and light, not bottle rockets. Some years, we’d be out there at the same time as our neighbors, so we’d all enjoy a double show. And sparklers. Loved those.
For a number of years as an adult, some friends would have a group over for swimming and a BBQ, and then we’d watch the towns fireworks together.
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I love town fireworks. I really miss them. That’s my favorite part of the 4th.
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The most exciting part about Bend’s fireworks is that they inevitably set Pilot Butte (where they’re launched) on fire. It’s become a tradition to watch the firetrucks race up the Butte. (No one is hurt, thank goodness, and the damage is minimal!)
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Sounds wonderful! And I still love sparklers!!
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Liz, that sounds both fun and frightening!
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I miss our local Santa Cruz fireworks display, but they had to stop it because the event became too big to deal with. But bottle rockets? Yikes!
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Back yard BBQs! As a child and now, it’s always great to sneak some time extra family time. Happy 4th Everyone!
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Happy 4th to you also, Etta! Maybe they will do fireworks for us at Camp NaNo.
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Kathy, I used to write Sweet Dreams romances for teens back in the 80s, and I would have killed for that storyline. I do recall a music-themed title in the line called “Playing for Keeps.” But anyway, wow. (Did the boy live on a houseboat in Seattle, by any chance?)
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It was a total Sweet Dreams storyline! (And LOL about the Seattle houseboat!) We were even pen pals afterwards and planned a reunion only to be thwarted by our parents. (He was a couple of years older and my mother did NOT approve. I think his felt the same way.) The bittersweet ending was that I never saw him again. I did, however, find a photo that someone took of us that day (pre-selfies!). I’ll see if I can dig it up!
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We’ll make it the cover of your Sweet Dreams Romance!
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All of these memories are so wonderful–I’m getting really excited for tomorrow! *runs to check forecast again and decorate bike–only 50% chance of thunderstorms now, woohoo!*
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I hope you’re decorating the bike with red, white, and blue crepe paper, Lisa!
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Absolutely, Leslie! Inspired by your post. (Also enjoyed the trombones on your FB page today. I blasted my hubby out of his office chair in the next room. A little Sousa in the am never hurts.)
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Kathy, you should look him up on Facebook! Or Google him. If you remember his name, that is. Just to see what he looks like now. *Inquiring minds want to know.* 😉
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I should! I’ll have to ask my bestie, who is the Keeper of Memories. I bet she’ll remember. I’ll report back!
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I was going to suggest that also. Heh heh.
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I found him!! He looks basically the same. If this were a second-chance romance, we’d both be single (he’d be a widower, naturally) and we’d run into each other at the lakeside resort my friends insisted I visit to get over a breakup and where Fireworks Guy happens to work as a paddle board instructor.
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OMG, Kathy, that’s hilarious! Could a romance novel be in your future???
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Ha ha! Maybe!! It’s practically writing itself!
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