I love the 4th. I like fireworks. Much of my Fourth of July used to be taken up going to see the fireworks or trying to go there. Now I have pretty much built up memories of them. I still do it. I even like sparklers. My idea now is my own fireworks, but I can't do that. Phoenix does not have the most spectacular ones. I am from back East. I went to the New York one before I came back again. It cost me a little more when I was broke. It was really worth it and beautiful. They kept going off and exploding and it was just what I wanted. Sometimes it would be frustrated but I would still find them. I remember things like seeing another woman older in Hollywood up on the roof trying to see them. I went back to visit my grandfather with my darn uncle there once and they had already gone. I try to plan it out better. I went to the beach in Santa Monica to see them one year when they were there. I had heard how the bums had walked all the way over there and I felt lazy, they walked from LA.

Tonight, we climbed to the highest place in the valley to get the best seats in the house for the fireworks. Leaning on the railing, there was a great view of the town, coifed in an undulating carpet of trees, framed by the hills and the surrounding mountains. A strong, cool wind after a brutally hot day made the drive well worth it, on any night.

A frail looking old man, wearing a Naval cap, pulled up to the railing next to me and asked, "How y'all doing?" to which I answered, "Well, I'm in America. I'm holding an ice cream cone, I'm waiting for the fireworks and no one bashed in my front door today to try and take me away."

"Damn right," he said, bobbing his head, "Got that right."

He continued..."We aught to be thankful that these will be the only rockets bursting in our air tonight. The kids today...they don't know." He looked down and bit his lower lip.

The fireworks lasted a long time...maybe 45 minutes. One rocket...one salute at a time. It was mellow compared to a big city extravaganza, but standing next to this old Vet, it seemed to have a different purpose than to entertain. There was no doubt that he was remembering why the fireworks were being displayed on this night. And when they were over, I heard him say, "Thank you." He patted me on the back as he walked away, alone and I watched him as he made his way down the hill, like a ghost.

No...thank you...

To my American friends, enjoy your national holiday today in whatever manner seems most fitting to you.

Just remember that for us folks up her in the Great White North, its just another Saturday.

Cheers.

A great American holiday

The Fourth of July is a lot of fun when I can spend it with my little brother. We cross the state line and buy a bunch of the good fireworks. Unfortunately it is also at a time of the year when I have a tendency to be out of the country for work related reasons. I spent the last 4th of July at CERN in Switzerland, and it sucked.

I never really did anything to celebrate.  I used to go to fireworks when I was younger, but I don't go anymore.

I like to sometimes have a BBQ on this day, but I have rarely ever gotten worked up over this holiday, I think that a lot of people freak out about this holiday, because they get totally wasted and watch fireworks.

Nothing against the holiday itself, just the way it's celebrated.

Top event of the year and at a good time.

Celebrating America - great reason for a Holiday. For me it means New England, lots of family, beer, barbecue, lobster, wiffleball, fireworks.

Great day for eating, noisy fireworks, but I like it.......

Great excuse for a BBQ and fire works, but also very dangerous. It is the day the USA commerates its Independence from Britain. Every 4th of July we should count are blessings that we still live in a, some what, free country after of 200 years of change.

This is one of my most favorite holidays! I go all out for it- I have an entire collection of Americana items that I put all around the house and wear my American Flag suit! Yeah, I know, that's pretty sad, but being patriotic isn't a crime!

What's a Brit to say? Actually, I don't think we give it much thought. hehe. Incidentally, June 21st, as mentioned in PBeavr's comments, is significant in that the summer solstice sees the sun enter Cancer, the sign representing the USA and opposing Capricorn (the sign representing Gt Britain) Piece of trivia there for you.

This is a great holiday. My last Fourth was spent on lawnchairs on the beach, watching fireworks light up the night sky with a [non-alcoholic] banana daiquiri in hand. I love my country, which makes the Fourth all the more meaningful.

There is some controversy about the actual date that the US got it's independence. Some say that it should have been on July 2nd because that was the day that the Declaration of Independence was signed, but it doesn't really matter. It was officially ratified on the afternoon of July 4th, 1776. Dates and history aside, the Fourth is one of my favorite holidays. Summertime barbeques, hanging out with friends, and a night full of fireworks! What other way is there to celebrate the independence of our nation?

this guy is full of patriotism so that means a 5

Positive: Fireworks, barbeques, picnics, celebrating our nations independence that's how it should be. Negative: But for some people it's just an excuse for a bunch of kids to set off fire-crackers past bed time and not even consider the importance of the day.

There's nothing better than celebrating the independence of your country. Everyone can enjoy this holiday. You can enjoy fireworks, cookouts, music, festivals, and good times.

It's amazing how soon we forget. I'm reading comment after comment, and I am quite disappointed. It seems that this has turned into, for most, just another day off from work or a chance to cookout or get drunk. We have forgotten that 227 years ago today, our forebears declared to the world that the United States would no longer live under tyranny. The Declaration of Independence is more than the doctrine that brought a new birth of freedom on this planet. The Declaration of Independence, moreover is a doctrine which encourages other nations, no matter how small, that they too can be free from the grasp of tyranny, that they too can indict oppression. In short, that they too can be free. We are blessed to live in this nation, which is not without its flaws, but where people have a chance to make a better life for themselves and their children. After all this nation has been through: instability at the beginning, slavery, Civil War, Reconstruction, Civil Rights, Worldwide Expansion, two world wars, the Cold War, the Vietnam War.... we are still a nation that "holds these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal". God Bless All of You and Happy 4th of July!

People seem to be forgetting what this day really is. People have been asked what the Fourth of July means to them. Sadly, I've heard some Americans (that's right, AMERICANS!) reply that they think of the fireworks, parties, and picnics. They have it all wrong! July 4, 1776 was the day that the United States became a nation -- INDEPENDENT! I like to reserve this day for thinking about the country in which I live, its history, our freedoms and opportunities... sometimes setting the mood with a little patriotic music. So go ahead, have your little picnics, parties, and night of fireworks... but always keep in mind the 56 men who signed an important, HISTORIC piece of paper. This official document (although nobody living today witnessed the actual event of the signing) should mean a lot to any red-blooded American. We must also remember the day it happened, the ORIGINAL INDEPENDENCE DAY!

I like the 4th of July. There's always plenty of parties happening, and the barbeques are great. Me and my friends always walk down to the river to see the fireworks, after eating burgers and swimming in one of our pools. Fun holiday.

Independence Day is an important American holiday. It is the day we celebrate our independence from English rule. I love the barbecues and watching the fireworks, but most of all, I love our founding fathers for creating this great country.

Fireworks and BBQing is always a blast. Speaking of blast, the fireworks are always timeless. You never get too old to watch fireworks. Too bad it only lasts for one day. If it falls on a Friday or a Monday, it's really good...(longer weekends).

ah the day of barbeque and fireworks..... it's always been enjoyable to me. i'd love to go see the statue of liberty on the 4th sometime. i bet it's awesome!!

Fireworks Day, as I call it, is pretty good. Although it is in the summer (meaning you don't get out of school because of it), its cool to see all the fireworks. Also, many stores have sales around the holiday, so a bargain doesn't hurt either. It does kind of get noisy though...:)

Can't be an American without having some appreciation for Independence Day. Or maybe I just enjoy barbecue, I don't know.

The Peachtree Road Race, the fireworks, the great weather...how could you not love the 4th? I do not see it as a time for Americans to collapse into patriotic fever and act like big showoffs to the rest of the world, but as a time to reflect and also to have fun. How many days of the year can you do both? I also respect the Candian Independence Day and other countries' Independence or Freedom Days, and on those specific days I wish them well. For everyone, their Independence Day should be a great time. Take care, everyone!

Kick butt holiday! It's relatively stress-free, fun and hey, you get a day off work if it falls on a weekday. More important, it is a day to celebrate our country, our heritage and our freedom. If it hadn't been for some very brave people over 200 years ago, we'd be living under some fake, useless monarchy or tyrannical dictatorship or lord knows what else. It's a chance for us to rub it into the other countries of the world who are jealous of our freedom, open society and prosperity. Break out the barbecue and jump in the pool then go watch fireworks at night- what else could be cooler? I think next 4th of July will have even more meaning in light of the terrorist attacks.

I like 4th of July cause its when Americans can celebrate our independence (& at a time like this, we need it), & I like the firework shows!! :)

Gotta admit, after seeing the fireworks for the re-opening of the Statue of Liberty, fireworks are kind of boring for me now. That was awsome. I haven't been to a fireworks display in about six years. I like the 4th for pickup softball games in the park and cold beer and sandwiches. A good day, but for me, not unlike any weekend day in the summer.

I love the Fourth of July. It is a time where you can beef up on your American history skills. It is the time of year when I look back on my old history texts and try to stump other family members with difficult history questions. It really brings out the best in America. This holiday also isn't about hyper-patriotism in which you think you're country is so much better than all others and wish death to all non-Americans, but you accept people from different lands and celebrate our immense diversity.

Broing and sucks. The only good thing is that it is an american day, but i hate fireworks.

i appreciate fourth of july greatly but not quite as much as the winter holidays. perhaps cause i've grown tired of my hippie friends dragging me to the annual weed rally on the mall (washington, dc). the spectacular fireworks show is great, but enduring the sea of crowds and lines in the endless saga of getting home before dawn didn't seem to make up for sitting amongst a couple hundred thousand people on a supersaturated, superhot day to take part in a cause i didn't really care about, not to mention a cause that had not much to do with independence day itself. but i found that, to enjoy the day and appreciate it, i much preferred to do the backyard barbeque and fireworks in the street with a handful of friends.

mmmm... fond memories of beatiful young drunk co-eds shedding their tops on the beach!

Great holiday! Parades, picnics, cookouts, getting together with friends and family! Fishing, too. Comtemplating our history. What a great holiday! I think I'll go get a hot dog!

The Fourth of July is a great holiday overall. There are no gifts to buy, and you don't have to put up any fancy decorations. Add a day off work and some pretty good picnic food, and who could complain? It's also nice to reflect a bit on the history of our country and feel grateful for what we have here in the United States. Not bad!

This holiday is the best. I think we really have a purpose for it and we should celebrate it w/ enthusiasm. This is not only a fun day for grown ups, the kids love it too! Fire works and BBQ. The two are a great combination.

This holiday is okay. The only thing i hate abou this holiday is the Fireworks being set off at any time. It is also a pain when you're sleeping and you wake up in the middle of the night just to hear fireworks. Somtimes kids buy Illegal fireworks without permission. I like the the little popper things where you drop them and they crackle and pop. and i like the snakes where you light them and they grow bigger and bigger.

I am pretty patriotic so I like this holiday a lot, but it just is not long enough. Man, a week long celebration during this time of year would be fantastic to me... at least a 4-Day weekend deal would be much improved. (Snuffy Smith, you should write articles for some national magazine the way you write... makes me feel like I am right there with you... you are describing those holidays perfectly.)

The summer time version of Thanksgiving, more great food and fun. Hot dogs, hamburgers, potato salad, chips, watermelon, and (drum role please) home made ice cream. You get all this food going, find you a nice comfortable shady spot, far enough away to not be caught in the kid’s water fight, and you have some pure summer time heaven. Makes me hungry and sleepy all at the same time just thinking about it.