It’s a time to celebrate the birth of our nation. July 4th, 1776… marks the adoption and approval of the Declaration of Independence as the 13 Colonies broke away from England. If you will remember your American history, the conflict between the 13 Colonies and the British Empire had been ongoing since 1775. The Declaration of Independence was officially our “breaking up letter” to the British and another stepping stone to the process of making our nation. Once independence was won in October 1781, with the final victory at Yorktown, The 13 Colonies were truly free!

What most people do not know is that the holiday of July 4th, Independence Day was not fully celebrated for about 100 years after independence! It was 1870 when Independence Day became a national holiday, and federal holiday in 1941.

Enough of the history lesson! Old habits die hard! The former life of a history teacher… 😂

So how do we celebrate the July 4th holiday in modern times??? Maybe for most of us, Fireworks, Flags, Food, And Family Fun are always at the center of most celebrations whether you celebrate at home or traveling on vacation.

Fireworks

Fireworks in our town are the centerpiece and the culmination of the celebration of the day. Families gather to watch the Fire Truck Parade before the fireworks and at dusk, the finale, the Fireworks. It’s an exciting time for kids and adults to view the colorful show in the darkened skies.

Flags

As flag etiquette and tradition states, an American flag can and should be flown during state and federal holidays. July 4th fits that category.

Upon buying a hardware store in 2015, one of the first things we noticed was the American Flag flying outside the store everyday. We wanted to make sure that our customers could always find a high quality American flag in our store for purchase. So when we arrived in New Orleans (our first hardware show) we made sure to order from Valley Forge Flags to keep that tradition alive.

In 2018, we added another service for our customers- drop off old American flags for proper disposal. Our customers can leave an old American flag and we will make sure the Flag Code of the US in observed in the discarding of the American flag. Our community received this service well and plan to continue to do this well into our future.

Food

Summer food is just fun! Let’s face it, the garden is producing wonderful fresh vegetables, fresh fruits are plentiful and quite tasty. What foods scream July 4th to you??? Here’s a few that are traditional favorites at our house each July 4th.

1. Hamburgers and Hotdogs with homemade chili (click link to view recipe)

Southern Sides for the BBQ Grilling Season

2. Homemade baked beans (click link to view recipe, see above)

3. Fresh fruit- watermelon, cantaloupe, blueberries, peaches… ahhh! The list is long and simply fantastic!!!

4. Fresh squeezed lemonade

5. Homemade ice cream- Nothing is better than a bit of sweet homemade ice cream on the July 4th holiday. I often add fruit into my basic homemade ice cream recipe.

Southern Summer… Making Homemade Ice Cream

Family Fun

Whether you choose to travel this July 4th weekend along with 60 million other travelers, I wish you traveling safety!

Maybe you might be just staying home, planning a cookout, splashing in the pool, or just relaxing the day away… check out the following swim safety tips.

Top 10 Pool Safety Tips:

1. Never swim alone -swim with a buddy always

2. Be mindful of opening and closing times at your community pool or public pool. AND yes, even when you are on vacation as well! Pool chemistry is checked at least once a day (usually before opening each day). Chemicals are often added prior to opening/closing each day and time is a factor! Give the pool chemicals time to work properly and swim safely without the worry of harsh pool chemicals impacting your skin.

3. Obey all pool rules. This one might be obvious but definitely crucial for a safe swimming environment.

4. Be mindful of drains and skimmers. Stay away from these areas as you swim. Educate your children about these areas as well.

5. Protect your skin! Use proper sunscreen and enjoy your pool day.

6. Avoid night swimming… pool areas should be well lit and have lights installed in the pool for SAFE night swimming. This rule applies back to basic pool hours noted at your public swimming pool, community pool or your vacation swimming pool fun.

7. Roughhousing and running around the pool area creates safety concerns. This also includes the safety equipment, like hanging on the safety rope. The safety rope has to be in place at public pools to designate the shift from shallow to deep water in the pool. If it is damaged, the pool may have to close. 😬

8. Stay weather aware. Summer storms are frequent throughout our area. If you hear thunder, it’s time to get out of the pool.

9. Come prepared. Take the essentials: towels, sunscreen, phone (in case of emergency) water (hydration), first aid supplies (bee stings, cuts etc) and of course the best pool snacks!

10. Lastly, keep watchful eyes on all in the pool, even though your kids maybe good swimmers. Accidents can happen can occur instantly.

Wishing y’all a SAFE and Happy July 4th weekend!!!! Have a Fantastic Fourth!