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Why do we celebrate the Fourth of July like we do?
 When you headed to downtown Sylva for the Fourth of July festivities Tuesday (For photos, see back page of this section), did you know why you were going? Hot dogs, cotton candy and fireworks have become a tradition for many people. Who convinced us that is how to celebrate?
History of July 4
In July of 1776, 2.5 million people lived in the colonies that would become the United States. On this July 4, the U.S. population is closing in on 300 million.
Many people have cookouts to celebrate their Independence Day. One-hundred and fifty million hot dogs will be eaten by Americans on July 4.
As Americans we are in awe when fireworks go off around us. However, we were not the first to have fireworks. The Chinese used fireworks for hundreds of years during their celebrations and when they needed to scare off intruders.
Legends say that the Chinese made the first fireworks by filling bamboo shoots with gunpowder and setting them off at their New Years’ celebrations around the 800s. Marco Polo reportedly brought it to the European countries in the 1300s.
In the beginning fireworks were more enjoyed for the sound they gave off than the show. Over time chemicals have been proven to make the colors brighter and make them last longer.
But enough with the history ... why do we celebrate the holiday like we do?
America celebrates July 4 as Independence Day because it was on July 4, 1776, that the Declaration of Independence was signed in Philadelphia. When people began reading it, that’s when the cheering and celebrating started.
Founding father John Adams predicted that Americans would remember July 2 as the “Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.”
Though he was fairly accurate in his depiction of how we would celebrate, he was off on when we would celebrate. The Congress almost had a unanimous vote to ratify the document on July 2, with delegates from New York abstaining from the decision. Officials spent the next two days revising the Declaration, and passed the document as we know it on July 4.
The next year, people in Philadelphia decided to mark what had happened the year before. Celebrators made light and sound part of the festivities, setting off fireworks, shooting guns and lighting candles.
From those humble beginnings it took more than 150 years for the celebration to become a federally-recognized holiday. Congress voted to do so in 1941.
Over time, various other activities became associated with the Fourth of July, including historical pageants, picnics, baseball games, watermelon-eating contests, and trips to the beach. Common foods include hot dogs, hamburgers, corn on the cob, apple pie, cole slaw, and sometimes clam bakes.
Colonial Attractions
Though “the Fourth” is a national holiday, historic cities like Boston and Philidelphia see a influx of tourists.
In Boston, the USS John F. Kennedy often sails into the harbor. The Boston Pops Orchestra holds an annual concert on the banks of the Charles River, which is televised throughout the nation. All of the selections are “American music,” and the concerts traditionally end with Tchaikovski’s 1812 Overture.
Philadelphia honors the day by holding many events at Independence Hall, where the Declaration was adopted by the Continental Congress. Here, visitors can see reenactments of historic scenes and hear the Declaration of Independence read aloud.
Sources: www.infoplease.com, State Department’s Web site at www.state.gov
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