Holidays Explained > History of Fourth of July

What is the Fourth of July?

Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. Independence Day is commonly associated with fireworks, parades, barbecues, carnivals, fairs, picnics, concerts, baseball games, family reunions, political speeches and ceremonies, and various other public and private events celebrating the history, government, and traditions of the United States. 

Declaration of Independence

What is the history of this holiday?           

The tradition of Independence Day celebrations goes back to the 18th century and the American Revolution (1775-83). In June 1776, representatives of the 13 colonies then fighting in the revolutionary struggle weighed a resolution that would declare their independence from Great Britain. On July 2nd, the Continental Congress voted in favor of independence, and two days later its delegates adopted the Declaration of Independence, a historic document drafted by Thomas Jefferson. From 1776 until the present day, July 4th has been celebrated as the birth of American independence, with typical festivities ranging from fireworks, parades and concerts to more casual family gatherings and barbecues.

The tradition of patriotic celebration became even more widespread after the War of 1812, in which the United States again faced Great Britain. In 1870, the U.S. Congress made July 4th a federal holiday; in 1941, the provision was expanded to grant a paid holiday to all federal employees. Over the years, the political importance of the holiday would decline, but Independence Day remained an important national holiday and a symbol of patriotism.

What songs are associated with Fourth of July?

Independence Day fireworks are often accompanied by patriotic songs such as the national anthem "The Star-Spangled Banner", "God Bless America", "America the Beautiful", "My Country, 'Tis of Thee", "This Land Is Your Land", "Stars and Stripes Forever", and, regionally, "Yankee Doodle" in northeastern states and "Dixie" in southern states. Some of the lyrics recall images of the Revolutionary War or the War of 1812.

How was it celebrated before?

In the pre-Revolutionary years, colonists had held annual celebrations of the king's birthday, which traditionally included the ringing of bells, bonfires, processions and speechmaking. By contrast, during the summer of 1776 some colonists celebrated the birth of independence by holding mock funerals for King George III, as a way of symbolizing the end of the monarchy's hold on America and the triumph of liberty.

Festivities including concerts, bonfires, parades and the firing of cannons and muskets usually accompanied the first public readings of the Declaration of Independence, beginning immediately after its adoption. Philadelphia held the first annual commemoration of independence on July 4, 1777, while Congress was still occupied with the ongoing war. George Washington issued double rations of rum to all his soldiers to mark the anniversary of independence in 1778, and in 1781, several months before the key American victory at Yorktown, Massachusetts became the first state to make July 4th an official state holiday.

Fireworks & Statue of Liberty

How is it celebrated now?

Independence Day is a national holiday marked by patriotic displays. Similar to other summer-themed events, Independence Day celebrations often take place outdoors. Independence Day is a federal holiday, so all non-essential federal institutions (like the postal service and federal courts) are closed on that day. Many politicians make it a point on this day to appear at a public event to praise the nation's heritage, laws, history, society, and people.

Families often celebrate Independence Day by hosting or attending a picnic or barbecue and take advantage of the day off and, in some years, long weekend to gather with relatives. Decorations (e.g., streamers, balloons, and clothing) are generally colored red, white, and blue, the colors of the American flag. Parades often are in the morning, while fireworks displays occur in the evening at such places as parks, fairgrounds, or town squares.

Firework shows are held in many states, and many fireworks are sold for personal use or as an alternative to a public show. A salute of one gun for each state in the United States, called a “salute to the union,” is fired on Independence Day at noon by any capable military base.

Decorating for this holiday

Fourth of July occurs at the height of summer, which is a great time for families to gather in the park to have a picnic or throw a barbecue outdoors. Many people love to show their patriotism by setting up American flags or buntings outside of their houses. On this day, you won’t go wrong as long as your party décor is in the colors red, white, and blue! Dress yourself in either of these colors or ALL of our nation’s colors. Pass out party favors for your party guests, such as mini American flags or American flag pens. Prepare some balloons decorated as an American flag and tie them to the chairs or just leave them afloat in the house! Choose from our fine selection of Fourth of July decorations from our shop and display proudly your love for our country!

 Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more holiday videos: HomeSeasons

Visit our blog for more tips on how to decorate for July 4th!

A sneak peek into our Blog...

May, 24, 2013 ~ Memorial Day Traditions

Memorial Day occurs on the last Monday of May every year. This year, Memorial Day will be on Monday, May 27, 2013. Learn about a few Memorial Day traditions to observe in our newest blog post.

August 24, 2012 ~ Glass Summer Home Decor

Summer may be coming to an end (1 more week until September!), but for those of you who want to keep the summer vibes going in your home, check our our newest blog post for glass summer home decor ideas! More home decor ideas coming up soon! Stay tuned!

August 22, 2012 ~ Back to School: Personalized School Supplies

Are your kids always misplacing their school supplies? Why not personalize them! That way, they will always be returned to the owner! Check out our newest blog post for a few of our favorite personalizable school supplies! We hope everyone is having a great back to school week!

August 16, 2012 ~ Back to School: Creative Lunches/Bento Boxes

Are the kids going back to school? Surprise them with a creative lunch! Check out our newest blog post for a few of the most creative lunch/bento boxes we found! They're going to love it! Let's make this school year great!

August 14, 2012 ~ White Hot Summer Home Decor

Enjoy the white hot summer by filling your home with white accents! Check out our newest blog post for a few of our favorite white home decor ideas for the season!

August 10, 2012 ~ Summertime Handprint Crafts for Children

Entertain younger children during the last leg of summer by teaching them handprint crafts! Children will have a fun time making it, and they will be proud to display their artwork for home decor! Visit our newest blog post for a few ideas!

August 8, 2012 ~ Tunic Style Beach and Pool Cover Ups for Summer

Summer is almost over, but not quite! Check out our newest blog post for a few of our favorite beach and pool cover ups for the summer time. They are perfect for shielding our skin from the sun, and they look great as well. More posts coming up soon, stay tuned!

July 31, 2012 ~ Delectable Summer Fruits

Fruits are perfect for quenching your thirst in the summer! Visit our newest blog post for our favorite summer fruits! Share with us your favorites in the comments. More summer and holiday posts coming up!

July 27, 2011 ~ 2012 Summer Olympics - Themed Party Treats & Decor

We're excited for the 2012 Summer Olympics! Celebrate the momentous occasion by celebrating in style! Visit our newest blog post for Olympic themed party treats and decoration ideas. Good luck to all the amazing athletes representing their country!

July 26, 2012 ~ Turquoise Summer Home Decor

Turquoise is the perfect color for summer home decor! Check out our newest blog post for picture inspirations to show you how we would add turquoise to our home. More holiday and summer decor posts coming up soon!

July 24, 2012 ~ Cool and Unique School Supplies for Fall!

Prep for back to school before summer is over by picking up the coolest school supplies! VIsit our newest blog post for our favorites! Summer is still in session, but will come before we know it! Check out our blog for more posts!

July 20, 2012 ~ Summer Cupcake Inspiration - Beach & Ocean Themed

Our cupcake inspiration post is back for the summer! Check out our newest post for a few fun pictures of beach and ocean themed cupcakes, perfect for summertime parties and barbecues! For more posts, check back to our blog page soon!

July 17, 2012 ~ Quench Your Summer Party Thirst - Watermelon Lemonade Recipe

Check out our newest blog post for a thirst quenching watermelon lemonade recipe for the hot summer months! Perfect for parties, barbecues, and the beach! Stay hydrated, everyone! Stay tuned for more posts coming up!

July 9, 2012 ~ Sail Away! With Nautical Summer Outfits

The nautical trend is perfect for summer outfits! Now we can all imagine we are sailing away under the summer sun! For inspiration pictures, visit our blog now! More home and holiday decor posts coming up!

July 6, 2012 ~ Coral Summer Home Decor

Coral accents are perfect for your home in the summer! Visit our newest blog post for a few inspiration ideas to bring the sunshine indoors! More holiday decor posts coming up soon! Stay tuned!

July 3, 2012 ~ Happy 4th of July! (Plus Safety Tips)

HomeSeasons.com would like to wish everyone a Happy 4th of July! Check out our newest blog post for safety tips for celebrating Independence Day. We want everyone to have fun and stay safe! More holiday decor posts coming up soon!

July 2, 2012 ~ Affordable Patriotic 4th of July Decorations

Check out our newest blog post for our favorite 4th of July decorations available from our website! For more 4th of July hoiday decorations, please click here! 4th of July is almost here!

June 29, 2012 ~ American Flag Themed Desserts - 4th of July

What are some of your favorite 4th of July desserts? We love American flag themed ones! Check out our newest blog post for some of our favorite American flag themed desserts, and stay tuned for more posts coming up soon!

June 28, 2012 ~ Patriotic Outfits for 4th of July

Get inspired to recreate fun patriotic outfits for 4th of July with inspiration photos in our newest blog post! We featured a few of our favorite red, white, and blue themed outfits from some stylish bloggers! For more 4th of July ideas, visit our blog now!

June 26, 2012 ~ 4th of July Patriotic Cupcakes - Decoration Inspriations

We love 4th of July themed cupcakes! Visit our newest blog post for a few fun patriotic cupcake inspiration pictures from the blogging world! Only 1 week left until 4th of July! Visit our blog for more posts on 4th of July!

June 22, 2012 ~ 4th of July Project - Patriotic Hand Print Fireworks

Learn a fun project to make patriotic hand print fireworks for 4th of July! There are actually two projects in one, so don't forget to check it all out! There is something for kids of all ages! More 4th of July projects and home decor ideas coming up!

June 18, 2012 ~ Party Decor Inspirations for 4th of July & Patriotic Picnics

Visit our newest blog post for more fancy 4th of July picnic decorating ideas! You can easily turn a simple barbecue into a fancy 4th of July picnic! Also, don't forget to check out our newest 4th of July HomeSeasons video on Youtube!

June 14, 2012 ~ Summertime Outdoor Safety

Summertime is upon us again! Learn a few safety tips to keep you and your family safe during the hot summer months in our newest blog post! We want everyone to have an enjoyable summer! More posts coming up!

June 13, 2012 ~ 4th of July Patriotic Place Settings

Get inspired to spice up this year's 4th of July dinner party by creating your own patriotic place settings! It can quickly turn a casual barbecue into a fancy dinner party! Check out our blog for inspiration pictures, and much more 4th of July decorating tips!

June 8, 2012 ~ Red, White, and Blue Striped Jello Treat

Learn a quick and easy recipe to make a layered jello treat for 4th of July! They're yummy and are fun to make! Check out our blog for the recipe now! More 4th of July party ideas coming up!

June 1, 2012 ~ Red, White, and Blue Patriotic Breakfast Waffle

Jump start your 4th of July day off right by having a red, white, and blue themed breakfast! Create fun patriotic waffles for your whole family to celebrate for Independence Day. For more inspiration pictures and tips, visit our blog post now!

May 25, 2012 ~ HomeSeasons - 4th of July Party Decorating Tips and Project Ideas - New Video!

We started a HomeSeasons Youtube channel! Our first video is going to teach everyone how to decorate for a 4th of July party. We're going to share two patriotic tablescapes and a few other fun tips and projects! Subscribe to our channel for more upcoming videos! More 4th of July holiday decor posts coming up soon!

May 23, 2012 ~ Fun DIY Pinwheel Project for 4th of July

Learn how to make fun 4th of July themed pinwheels for the holiday! They're easy to make and are a great addition to your yard, home, or party to add patriotic spirit. More 4th of July projects and holiday decorating ideas coming  up soon! Stay tuned to our blog for more posts!

May 17, 2012 ~ 4th of July Bunting & Pennant Decorating Ideas

Visit our newest blog post for ideas on how to use 4th of July patriotic buntings & pennant flags! They can be changed up and used in so many more ways for party and home decorating! More 4th of July holiday ideas coming up soon! Keep checking on our blog!

May 14, 2012 ~ 4th of July Project - Easy Patriotic Paper Lanterns

Learn a fun project to make fun 4th of July lanterns! This project is great for the little ones who can't participate in all the grown up activities such as playing with fireworks or grilling for the bbq. Now they can help make decorations for the 4th of July party! More 4th of July party and decor ideas coming up!

May 8, 2012 ~ 4th of July Decorative Starry Night Paper Bag Luminaries

Create fun starry night luminaries to light up your 4th of July night! Visit our blog post for instructions! More 4th of July projects and home decor ideas coming up soon!

May 2, 2012 ~ 4th of July Dessert Whoopie Pies

Learn a quick tip to turn ordinary red velvet whoopie pies into themed 4th of July desserts! They are great for 4th of July parties with friends and family! More 4th of July holiday projects and home decor ideas coming up! 

July 4th, 2011 ~ Happy Independence Day!

Wishing everyone a Happy 4th of July! Let us know how you celebrated your star-spangled 4th of July weekend or share your decorating ideas!

June 24, 2011 ~ It's Almost July 4th! Are You Ready to Party?

Doing some last minute preparation for the July 4th party? Shop now for your party supplies and get free UPS 3-day Select Shipping! Enter “Balloons” for this promotion under “Shipping Instructions” when checking out. Let’s party it up Red White and Blue style!

 June 2, 2011 ~ July 4th Party Invitation, Made From Paper Plate!

Learn how to make homemade Red, White, and Blue 4th of July party invitations using our Americana Plates! Give them out to friends and family as 4th of July invitations, or use them to decorate around the house!

July 2, 2010 ~ July 4th inspirational ideas

July 4th decorating is not only about the fireworks, it is mainly about celebrating our National Holiday with family and friends while sporting our patriotic colors of Red, White, and Blue. On this special day families and friends gather to throw barbecues or small parties, and at night watch firework shows together.