Celebrating the Fourth of July

​We, as a town, celebrated the Fourth of July on Saturday, July 1. It was a busy, fun-filled, action-packed day, to say the least. There were so many events scheduled for that day, and I felt it was my duty to attend as many as possible.
                Independence Day or the Fourth of July is a federal holiday that commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. The Continental Congress declared that the thirteen colonies regarded themselves as a new nation, the United States of America, and were no longer part of the British Empire. The Congress actually voted to declare independence two days earlier, on July 2 (Wikipedia).
                On July 3, 1776, John Adams wrote the following to his wife Abigail: “The second day of July 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with the pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.”
                In 1777, thirteen gunshots were fired in salute, once in the morning and once again as evening fell on July 4, on Bristol, Rhode Island. Philadelphia celebrated the first anniversary in a manner that we modern Americans would find quite familiar: an official dinner for the Continental Congress, toasts, 13-gun salute, speeches, prayers, music, parades, troop reviews, and fireworks. Ships in port were decked with red, white, and blue bunting (Wikipedia).
                Here in Brackettville, we did just that. The patriotic program and the fireworks were highlights. This past weekend was full of festivities that highlighted our freedom and our love for our country.