How did you celebrate July 4? Did you go to the parades and barbecues? Did you dance to the music and watch fireworks?
I stayed home and decided to create my own celebration. It’s a family tradition.
kAm~?6 J62C @? E96 u@FCE9 @7 yF=J[ H6 C625 E96 s64=2C2E:@? @7 x?56A6?56?46 7C@> |E] y6776CD@?’D DF>>:E] p?@E96C J62C[ H6 9:<65 :? E96 52C< H:E9 :?72?E y@6 FA v2A |@F?E2:? E@ D66 =@42= 7:C6H@C<D] (92E H6 C62==J D2H H6C6 DH2C>D @7 >@DBF:E@6DPk^Am
kAm%9:D u@FCE9 @7 yF=J[ x 46=63C2E65 EH:46] {2DE H66<6?5[ x H6?E E@ |@?E:46==@ 7@C 2 72>:=J C6F?:@?] xE :D 2 8C62E A=246 E@ 46=63C2E6 E96 4C62E:@? @7 E96 s64=2C2E:@? @7 x?56A6?56?46 ad_ J62CD 28@]k^Am
kAm~? yF=J c[ x 8@E FA 62C=J E@ 3:<6 367@C6 :E 8@E 9@E] |J D@? C6>:?565 >6 E92E >@C?:?8 E92E @?6 yF=J c[ 96 46=63C2E65 H:E9 2 `f]fe\>:=6 >@F?E2:? 3:<6 C:56] x 564:565 E92E H@F=5 36 >J 52J’D 8@2= — 2 8C2G6=^A2G6>6?E C:56 @7 E92E =6?8E9]k^Am
kAmx 5:5?’E AC6A=2? E96 C@FE6 E@ >2<6 DFC6 x’5 249:6G6 E92E 8@2=] x 7:8FC65 x’5 4964< >J >:=6286 @? E96 H2J 2?5 255 @? :7 x H2D CF??:?8 D9@CE] #:5:?8 62C=J 2?5 DE2J:?8 @77 >2:? C@25D[ x 9@A65 E@ 2G@:5 EC277:4 2?5 5@ D@>6 4=:>3:?8 2?5 D46?:4 56D46?ED] %2D<6C w:== #@25 2C62 H2D >J E2C86E]k^Am
kAm$E2CE:?8 7C@> >J 9@FD6 ?62C E96 z2?42>28FD w:89H2J[ x 42C67F==J 4C@DD65 #@FE6 `e 2?5 C@56 5@H? w2G6? #@25 E@ (6DE |2:?6 $EC66E 2?5 E@@< 2 C:89E] %FC?:?8 =67E @? 5625\6?5 (6DE |2:? $EC66E tIE6?D:@?[ x A:4<65 FA 2 EC2:= E@ qC@@<D:56 pG6?F6 2?5 qC:586 $EC66E] %9:D =:EE=6 4@??64E:@? :D >J H2J @7 2G@:5:?8 C:5:?8 @? #@FE6 `e @C ``b E@ C6249 rC2?>@C6 $9@C6D]k^Am
kAmpE E96 7:CDE =67E @? qC@@<D:56[ x EFC?65 @?E@ qC:586 $EC66E] x A652=65 E@ E96 3C:586 >256 @7 EH@ DE66= 8:C56CD @G6C !6BF2H<6E qC@@< 2?5 H2=<65 >J 3:<6 24C@DD] %FC?:?8 C:89E[ x 962565 FA 5:CE qC:586 $EC66E] r=:>3:?8 E96 9:==[ x 42>6 E@ rC2?>@C6 $9@C6D 2?5 !6BF2H<6E sC:G6] rC@DD:?8 @G6C[ x E@@< 5:CE |@F?E2:? ':6H sC:G6] %96 EC277:4 :D >F49 =:89E6C E96C6Pk^Am
kAmpE :ED 6?5[ x EFC?65 C:89E @? !6BF2H<6E sC:G6 2?5 A652=65 E@ "F:?E $EC66E] %FC?:?8 C:89E[ x D@@? C624965 %2D<6C w:== #@25 2?5 EFC?65 C:89E 282:?] x =:<6 E96 H2J %2D<6C w:== #@25 4=:>3D 86?E=J F?E:= :E EFC?D C:89E E@H2C5 $~{~ WE96 H:=56C?6DD 2?5 6>6C86?4J >65:4:?6 D49@@=X 2?5 E96 C@25 29625 364@>6D p==2C5 w:== #@25] %92E 4=:>3D >@C6 DE66A=J :? E96 @A6? E@ E96 96:89E @7 =2?5] x 4964<65 >J >:=6286 — d]a >:=6D[ 7@C `_]c C@F?5 EC:A] x ?66565 E@ 255 @G6C f >:=6D E@ C6249 >J 8@2=]k^Am
kAmpE E96 :?E6CD64E:@? @7 p==2C5 w:== 2?5 |@5@4< w:== C@25D[ x 564:565 E@ EFC? =67E[ 2G@:5:?8 t:56=H6:DD @? 2 9@=:52J H66<6?5] !2G65 |@5@4< 492?86D E@ 5:CE >:5H2J E@ s@==@77 w:== #@25] pE :ED ;F?4E:@?[ E96 C@25 DH:?8D =67E] %2<:?8 E92E 5@H? E96 9:== E@ E96 s@==@77 46>6E6CJ @? E96 =67E[ x DE@AA65 E@ 4964< 7@C C6D:56?ED 3@C? :? E96 `f__D 3FE 7@F?5 ?@?6]k^Am
kAm|J >:=6286 4964< H2D D9@CE[ D@ x C6=F4E2?E=J C@56 5@H? DE66A 2?5 3F>AJ s@==@77 E@ E96 A@?5 E@ A:4< FA D@>6 >:=6D] %92E >62?E x 925 E@ 4C2?< 324< FA E92E 9:== :? E96 9@E DF?]k^Am
kAmx EFC?65 2C@F?5 2?5 C6A62E65 >J @C:8:?2= C@FE6[ 3FE 925 E@ 255 @? D@>6 D:56 EC:AD E@ 86E E96 >:=6286 x ?66565 E@ >2<6 `f]fe >:=6D] x 6?565 FA 2 =:EE=6 A2DE E92E 8@2= H:E9 2 E@E2= @7 `g]c >:=6D 2?5 `[bcf 766E 6=6G2E:@?] x H2D 8=25 x 925 49@D6? E92E 8@2= 2?5 ?@E ad_ 7@C E96 2??:G6CD2CJ]k^Am
kAmv@2= C:56D =:<6 E96D6 2C6 7F? 2?5 >@E:G2E:?8] !:4< 2 8@2= E92E >62?D D@>6E9:?8 E@ J@F 2?5 8@ 7@C :E] v@@5 =F4<Pk^Am
kAm&A4@>:?8 6G6?EDjk^Am
kAmU3F==j rC2?>@C6 D64@?5 2??F2= |@F?E2:? q:<6 u6DEi $F?52J[ yF=J `a[ h 2]>] E@ b A]>] vC@FA C:56D 7C@> h\`` 2]>][ =65 3J #:56 }@r@ 2?5 E96 (9:E6 |@F?E2:? }6H t?8=2?5 |@F?E2:? q:<6 pDD@4:2E:@?] uC@> ?@@? E@ b A]>][ E96C6 H:== 36 2 G6?5@C 72:C[ 32C364F6 2?5 >FD:4 369:?5 E96 =@586] q:<6 @C82?:K2E:@? >6>36CD 86E 5:D4@F?E65 =:7E E:4<6ED WSadX 7@C E96 52J] }6H E9:D J62C[ 2 H@>6?UCDBF@jD 3:<6 4=:?:4 2E ` A]>] =65 3J E9C66 244@>A=:D965 H@>6? C:56CD] u@C >@C6 :?7@C>2E:@? 2?5 E@ C68:DE6C 7@C E96 4=:?:4[ 8@ E@ k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^E:?JFC=]4@>^bJ66JE?JQmE:?JFC=]4@>^bJ66JE?Jk^2m]k^Am
kAmU3F==j (|}t|qp {:G6C>@C6 r92==6?86i $F?52J[ yF=J `h[ h 2]>] E@ b A]>] vC2G6= @C |@F?E2:? 3:<6 C@FE6 @AE:@?D[ 2D H6== 2D U=5BF@jw2=7 $6?5UC5BF@j 2?5 U=5BF@juF== $6?5UC5BF@j C246 @AE:@?D] u@C >@C6 :?7@C>2E:@? 2?5 E@ C68:DE6C[ 8@ E@ k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^E:?JFC=]4@>^beIc24K>QmE:?JFC=]4@>^beIc24K>k^2m]k^Am
kAmk6>m$2==J |4|FC5@ :D 2 3:<6 D276EJ :?DECF4E@C 2?5 2? 2G:5 4J4=:DE H9@ =:G6D :? r@?H2J]k^6>mk^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.