Happy Fourth of July!
Get the history behind this star-spangled celebration
JULY 04, 2013
By Lara Sokolowski
BrynnTalucci, 9, dresses in red, white, and blue at the Good Neighbor Day annual Independence Day celebration in Downingtown, Pennsylvania, on July 4, 2012.
Backyard barbecues. Boisterous parades. Bright, colorful firework displays. The Fourth of July, also known as Independence Day, is anything but your average holiday.
A Historic Event
One of the most celebrated events in the United States, the Fourth marks the day that the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, on July 4, 1776, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The written statement declared that the 13 North American colonies intended to separate from Britain. Penned by a committee headed by Thomas Jefferson, it signaled a break in colonial ties with Britain. Although representatives did not sign the declaration until August 1776, the Fourth of July stands as the official day to celebrate our nation's independence.
Until the declaration was signed, America was a part of the British Empire. But as the colonies grew, Americans felt that the British government was treating them unfairly. They felt that they were paying too much in taxes to Britain and thought the colonies should have a say in how things were governed.
By June 1776, Americans were tired of trying to work out an agreement with Britain. They were also tired of being told what to do, so they decided to write the Declaration of Independence.
The First Celebration
On July 8, 1776, the first celebration took place in Philadelphia. On that day, the declaration was read aloud, city bells rang, and bands played. That summer, many towns marked the historic event with a mock funeral for the King of England. This symbolized the death of the monarchy and ushered in the days of liberty. Hundreds of years later, the national holiday remains important, as a day to pay tribute to the United States of America—its laws, heritage, history, and people.
CHARLES SYKES—AP
Each year on the Fourth of July, Macy's lights up New York City with a fireworks show.
A Patriotic Tradition
Many communities hold colorful parades complete with marching bands and patriotic speeches. Citizens hang American flags from their homes, and buildings are decorated in red, white, and blue. At night, booming firework displays, usually ending with a spectacular finale, can be seen at various parks and fairgrounds. Two of the biggest firework shows take place in Washington, D.C., on the National Mall, and in New York City, on the East River.
Want to show your U.S. pride this Fourth of July? It's easy! First, put on your favorite red, white, and blue clothes. Next, ask your mom or dad to hang the flag outside your apartment or house, or line the driveway with mini flags. Then, find a holiday parade or festival in your neighborhood. And don't forget to map out a good spot in the park (or even in front of the TV) to watch those dazzling fireworks!
Did You Know?
• Independence Day was not declared a legal holiday until 1870. But that didn't stop people from celebrating!
• Work on the Erie Canal in 1817, the laying of the cornerstone of the Washington Monument in 1848, and the laying of the cornerstone of the Freedom Tower all began on the Fourth of July.
• The city of Boston, Massachusetts, first commemorated Independence Day on March 5, 1783, the day of the Boston Massacre.
• Fireworks were made in China as early as the 12th Century! The Chinese originally used them for war rockets and explosives.
• There were 13 original colonies. Can you name them all?
Cinco de Mayo
Cinco de Mayo—or the fifth of May—commemorates the Mexican army's 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War (1861-1867). A relatively minor holiday in Mexico, in the United States Cinco de Mayo has evolved into a celebration of Mexican culture and heritage, particularly in areas with large Mexican-American populations. Cinco de Mayo traditions include parades, mariachi music performances and street festivals in cities and towns across Mexico and the United States.
History of Cinco de Mayo: Battle of Puebla
In 1861 the liberal Mexican Benito Juárez (1806-1872) became president of a country in financial ruin, and he was forced to default on his debts to European governments. In response, France, Britain and Spain sent naval forces to Veracruz to demand reimbursement. Britain and Spain negotiated with Mexico and withdrew, but France, ruled by Napoleon III (1808-1873), decided to use the opportunity to carve a dependent empire out of Mexican territory. Late in 1861, a well-armed French fleet stormed Veracruz, landing a large French force and driving President Juárez and his government into retreat. Certain that success would come swiftly, 6,000 French troops under General Charles Latrille de Lorencez (1814-1892) set out to attack Puebla de Los Angeles, a small town in east-central Mexico. From his new headquarters in the north, Juárez rounded up a rag-tag force of 2,000 loyal men—many of them either indigenous Mexicans or of mixed ancestry—and sent them to Puebla. Led by Texas-born General Ignacio Zaragoza (1829-1862), the vastly outnumbered and poorly supplied Mexicans fortified the town and prepared for the French assault. On May 5, 1862, Lorencez drew his army, well provisioned and supported by heavy artillery, before the city of Puebla and led an assault from the north. The battle lasted from daybreak to early evening, and when the French finally retreated they had lost nearly 500 soldiers. Fewer than 100 Mexicans had been killed in the clash. Although not a major strategic win in the overall war against the French, Zaragoza's success at Puebla represented a great symbolic victory for the Mexican government and bolstered the resistance movement. Six years later—thanks in part to military support and political pressure from the United States, which was finally in a position to aid its besieged neighbor after the end of the Civil War—France withdrew. The same year, Austrian Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian, who had been installed as emperor of Mexico by Napoleon in 1864, was captured and executed by Juárez's forces. Puebla de Los Angeles was renamed for General Zaragoza, who died of typhoid fever months after his historic triumph there.
Cinco de Mayo in Mexico
Within Mexico, Cinco de Mayo is primarily observed in the state of Puebla, where Zaragoza’s unlikely triumph occurred, although other parts of the country also take part in the celebration. Traditions include military parades, recreations of the Battle of Puebla and other festive events. For many Mexicans, however, May 5 is a day like any other: It is not a federal holiday, so offices, banks and stores remain open.
Cinco de Mayo in the United States
In the United States, Cinco de Mayo is widely interpreted as a celebration of Mexican culture and heritage, particularly in areas with substantial Mexican-American populations. Chicano activists raised awareness of the holiday in the 1960s, in part because they identified with the victory of indigenous Mexicans over European invaders during the Battle of Puebla. Today, revelers mark the occasion with parades, parties, mariachi music, Mexican folk dancing and traditional foods such as tacos and mole poblano. Some of the largest festivals are held in Los Angeles, Chicago and Houston.
Confusion with Mexican Independence Day
Many people outside Mexico mistakenly believe that Cinco de Mayo is a celebration of Mexican independence, which was declared more than 50 years before the Battle of Puebla. That event is commemorated on September 16, the anniversary of the revolutionary priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla’s famous “Grito de Dolores” (“Cry of Dolores”), a call to arms that amounted to a declaration of war against the Spanish colonial government in 1810.
History of Bastille Day
Posted By Scott Christmas On October 7, 2013 @ 8:37 am In Celebrations and Holidays - Other |
Celebrated each year on July 14th, Bastille Day commemorates the day in 1789 when the Bastille prison was stormed by insurgents, sparking the French Revolution. Bastille Day is for the French what Independence Day is for Americans.
France was a tinderbox in the summer of 1789. The cost of supporting the colonies in the American Revolution had drained the government of money, and heavy taxation of the bourgeoisie had raised the ire of many French people. In response to this, the Third Estate the group who represented the bourgeoisie in government reformed itself into the National Constituent Assembly, promising to form a constitutional government. This was naturally opposed by the powerful First and Second Estates those groups which represented the nobility and clergy, and constituted only 3% of France’s total population. The sheer strength in numbers of the National Assembly, however, forced the First and Second Estates, as well as the king, to capitulate, and its authority was finally recognized.
The National Assembly spent the summer of 1789 rousing support among the populace. Paris, in particular, was feverish with the revolutionary spirit. The French had seen the success of the colonists in America against their monarchical oppressors; the French felt that they, too, could bring down their tyrannical overlords.
On July 11th, Louis XVI made what would prove to be a fatal mistake when he gave into the suggestions of his council and reorganized his cabinet. Among those who were ousted was the finance minister Jacques Necker, who had been particularly sympathetic to the cause of the National Constituent Assembly. This move outraged average Frenchmen and women; they saw it as a decisive step by the royalists toward putting down the growing liberation movement. Their fears were further encouraged by the arrival of royal troops in Paris, where the National Assembly was meeting. Groups of armed Frenchmen began forming, roused to action by various spirited leaders and bourgeois revolutionaries, often bearing busts of Necker as they called the people to arms. Over the next few days, skirmishes and riots broke out, and Paris began to descend into anarchy.
By the 14th, the revolutionaries had gathered some 30,000 weapons, but had very little ammunition or gunpowder. They knew, however, that munitions were being stored in the Bastille prison that ancient symbol of royal tyranny and oppression.
Constructed during the Hundred Years’ War in the 14th century, the Bastille was already 400 years old by the time of the French Revolution. Dark and imposing, with eight towers and 80-foot walls, it was built entirely of stone blocks, more a fortified castle than a prison. In fact, it had initially been just that a military stronghold to defend Paris. Not until the reign of Louis XIII in the early 17th century did the Bastille become a state prison.
Though the prison was large, its general inmate population was small less than 50 prisoners at any one time. In July of 1789, only seven prisoners were being held there four convicted of forgery, two listed as “lunatics,” and one man imprisoned for writing pornography. What mattered to the revolutionaries, however, was not so much the prisoners inside the Bastille, but the ammunition and gunpowder stored there. Furthermore, as a symbol of old France and the monarchy, the Bastille was an obvious target for rioters enraged at the transgressions of the king.
Sometime around mid-morning on July 14th, about 600 rioters began surrounding the prison, demanding its complete surrender, including its inmates and military stores. Despite its bulk, the Bastille was only guarded by about 120 soldiers. These troops were led by a French commander named Bernard-Rene de Launay. De Launay began negotiations with spokesmen for the rioters, but his attempts to make terms with them were refused.
In the early afternoon, the crowd outside, growing hot and restless with the passing hours, began attacking the closed drawbridge, cutting its chains and storming into the inner courtyard. Many of the rioters were armed, and a 3-hour gun battle ensued, with a number of the attackers being killed. The rioters, however, were reinforced by deserting French soldiers who brought cannons with them. By 5:30 that afternoon, De Launay, realizing there was no hope of holding out, surrendered the fortress to the rioters, and the Bastille fell into the hands of the revolution. Despite surrendering completely, De Launay and several of his officers were beaten, killed, and beheaded, and their heads paraded through the streets of Paris.
Within a matter of months, the Bastille was completely dismantled, Louis XVI was ousted from his opulent palace at Versailles, and the revolution which would last for a decade was well underway.
On the 100th anniversary of the storming of the Bastille, great celebrations were held in Paris, commemorated in a famous painting by Claude Monet. Within two years, in 1880, the day was selected as the French National Holiday, and it has been celebrated in France ever since, most notably with a massive parade along the Champs Elysees and an evening of fireworks.
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Indian Republic Day - Its History and Origin
Indian Republic Day is an event that commemorates the date, 26 January 1950 on which the “Constitution of India” came to existence by replacing Government of India Act 1935. This day is very significant in Indian history as on this day India became republic from the ‘British Dominion’. Every year this day is celebrated with much enthusiasm throughout India. A massive parade is organized to showcase the growth of Indian from every aspect.
Origin Though India had got its freedom from the hands of the British in 15th August 1947, but there was no permanent constitution.
The laws were based on the modified colonial Government of India Act 1935 and India was then a Dominion. India was then headed by King George VI, until the adoption of the Indian Constitution in 1950. On 28 August 1947, a Drafting Committee was appointed to draft a permanent constitution. This committee was headed by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar along with several other members.
A draft constitution was prepared and submitted to the Assembly on 4th November 1947. After many considerations and some modifications the 308 members of the Assembly signed two hand-written copies of the document on 24th January 1950. Two days later the constitution came into effect throughout the nation that is on 26th January 1950. The Indian Constitution included 395 Articles and 8 Schedules. After the withdrawal of British Rule in 1947 it took India 894 days to come up with its own constitution.
For the first time election were held and Dr. Rajendra Prasad was elected as the first President of free India. He took the oath at the Durban Hall in the Government House, which was followed by the Presidential drive to the Irwin Stadium. He unrolled the National Flag at the stadium. This transition of India into a sovereign democratic republic nation is indeed a historical event.
Today, the Indian Constitution is the longest in the world. The national holiday is celebrated with festivities and patriotic fervor across the whole nation.
Guy Fawkes Day/Bonfire Night
In the UK, Bonfire Night or Guy Fawkes is celebrated on November 5th and the night skies are filled with colour. It's a special day in honour of a historic event.
The history
The year was 1605 and some English Catholics were angry because the King of England, James the first, was treating them badly. In November 1605 a group of men made a plan to blow up the Houses of Parliament (the government buildings) in London. An enormous explosion was planned for November 5th. This was the day that the King was due to open parliament. The plan is known as the ‘Gunpowder Plot’ and the leader of the group was called Guy Fawkes. The men put 36 barrels of gunpowder (a type of explosive) in the Houses of Parliament and they waited for the King to arrive. The group decided that Guy Fawkes should light the gunpowder and cause the explosion. Did they succeed? No, they didn’t. The police found the gunpowder before it exploded and they caught all the men involved in the plot. The men were tortured and killed. To celebrate his survival, King James ordered the people of England to have a bonfire on the night of November 5th.
Bonfires, Guys and fireworks
On November 5th people remember the plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament by celebrating ‘Bonfire Night’. All over Britain there are firework displays and bonfires with models of Guy Fawkes, which are burned on the fire. The Guy is made of old clothes and the clothes are filled with newspaper. The Guy is a reminder of Guy Fawkes. The fireworks are a reminder of the gunpowder that Guy Fawkes hid in the cellar of Parliament. Some people have a small bonfire in their garden (yard) on November 5th. In main towns and cities there are big bonfires and firework displays. The biggest fireworks display is the Edenbridge Display in Kent. Edenbridge also has the biggest Guy. A 9-metre ‘celebrity’ model is burned there every year. Last year the celebrity Guy was Wayne Rooney wearing Shrek–style ears and a Manchester United football shirt.
Food
It’s normally quite cold in November in Britain; so on Bonfire Night people wear hats, scarves and gloves to spend the evening outside. They need some warm food too. Traditional Bonfire Night food is hot baked potatoes. The potatoes are cooked on the bonfire and filled with butter and cheese. There are also toffee apples (apples on a stick, covered in sweet toffee) and in the north of England they eat a special type of cake called parkin. Cooking marshmallows on the bonfire is also popular. Yum!