In celebration of our 243
rd Independence Day we hope your day is filled with friends, family, fireworks, and fun! In the midst of all the fun don’t forget today is not only about celebration but remembering our founders who have enabled us the right to cherish our own individual values and beliefs.
“America was built on courage, on imagination, and an unbeatable determination.” – Harry S. Truman
Here are some fun facts about the holiday:
- The Declaration of Independence wasn’t signed on July 4. The official vote for independence was July 2, July 4 the draft for the declaration of independence began and it was not until August 2, 1776 that everyone had signed. The fourth of July celebrates the adoption of the declaration, not the signing.
- Massachusetts was the first state to recognize the Fourth of July as an official holiday. The Fourth of July wasn’t recognized as a holiday until July 3 of 1781 when Massachusetts became the first state to recognize it.
- The first Independence Day celebration took place on July 8, 1776. July 8th was the first public reading of the Declaration.
- Roughly 150 million hot dogs are eaten on July 4. Enjoy the holiday tradition and enjoy your hotdogs!
- Benjamin Franklin proposed the national bird be the turkey. It was John Adams and Thomas Jefferson who saw to it that the bald eagle would be our national bird.
We hope you enjoy your 4th of July and want to remind you that our offices will be closed Thursday July 4 and Friday, July 5.