How Faith, Freedom and Fireworks became a Holiday Two hundred and thirty-eight years ago we adopted the Declaration of Independence and in turn walked away from the sovereign rule of Great Britain.  We now celebrated this day with parades, barbecues and fireworks. Where we now fill our day with picnics, baseball and reunions with family or friends once were filled with mortar shells and bullets as our forefathers defended our newly founded country. July 4th almost never happened you know… I don’t mean the day or even the separation from our motherland.  The actual separation happened on July 2nd,  but it took Congress until the 4th to come to an agreement (and have yet to really agree since) on what is known today as the Declaration of Independence. John Adams, even he declared back then that the day would be epoch and “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 the continent to the other, from this time forever more.” (source: Had a declaration letter) Even as this day was being established so many years ago it was speculated that we should have bonfires (barbecues), parades, sports (baseball), illuminations (fireworks) and well we all know people tend to fire guns in the air thinking they won’t […]

Read More