This morning I’ve seen so many lovely 4th of July / Independence Day social media posts. Interestingly a big percentage of the posts share the themes of thanking our active service men and women, our veterans, and honoring those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to the United States of America. I so appreciate our service men and women passed and present, but actually Independence Day is about celebrating the official birthday of the United States of America.
Today, I want to be a purist and specifically honor Thomas Jefferson for drafting our Declaration of Independence, the Continental Congress for voting in favor of our independence, and the thirteen colonies’ leaders who made our independence official on July 4th, 1776. I did just a little research about Independence Day this morning, and this is what I learned (re-learned) thanks to History.com:
The Fourth of July / Independence Day has been an official holiday for Americans since 1941.
The tradition of celebrating Independence Day dates back to the 18th century and the American Revolution.
On July 2nd, 1776 the Continental Congress voted in favor of our independence from Great Britain.
On July 4th, 1776 the thirteen colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence, the historic document drafted by Thomas Jefferson.
We hope you and yours are safe and happy on this historic day of celebration. Enjoy all the food, fun, festivities, and freedom!
Happy 241st birthday to the great U.S.A.!
