Skip to main content

10 Reasons Why Independence Day Is the Best Holiday

Earlier this year, I gave ten reasons why Memorial Day is my favorite holiday. I stand by that list, but, in full disclosure, I really like Independence Day too, almost or even as much as Memorial Day. To flush this out, I decided to make a case for Independence Day as the best holiday of them all. Don't worry, I won't do this for every holiday.

Note: As with Memorial Day, I'm aware that Independence Day (on the Fourth of July) is a U.S. holiday, but I know other countries have similar holidays, so I figured people everywhere can relate. I also tried to pick qualities that aren't specific to America. If anything, they're more season-specific.

Here's the list:
  1. It's a holiday for everybody. Almost everyone gets off work on Independence Day and most businesses are closed. It makes the day feel extra special and celebratory, and there are only a few holidays where this is the case.
  2. It's affordable. Unless you're hosting a giant party, you won't spend a fortune on Independence Day. You can spend what you want on food and drink, of course, but it's often less than what you'll spend on other large meal or gift holidays, like Easter and Thanksgiving. And if you like holidays that don't dent your wallet, Independence Day entertainment will suit you just fine, with free fireworks in the evening.
  3. The time of year. Falling in the first few days of July, Independence Day arrives right as the summer festival season blossoms. Where I reside, in the Buffalo/Niagara region, whenever the fourth approaches, I know other great summer events are coming, like the Friendship Festival (a celebration between Fort Erie, Ontario and Buffalo, NY), Shakespeare In Delaware Park, and various ethnic and cultural festivals, including the Taste of Buffalo, the Buffalo Italian Heritage Festival, and the Canal Fest of the Tonawandas.
  4. Outdoor Gatherings. Take a moment and think how you've previously spent the day on Independence Day. Chances are, you've enjoyed time at barbecues, picnics, beaches, parks, backyard parties, and consumed all manner of delicious food and spirits. Independence Day lends itself to fun, outdoor gatherings like no other holiday.
  5. Summer movies and drive-ins. If Memorial Day kicks off the summer movie season, by Independence Day, we're in the thick of it, and by the fourth we typically have a nice selection of big-budget action films and easy summer fare to choose from. One year on the fourth, we actually got one of the schlockiest summer movies of them all, Independence Day (you remember). Of course, since the weather is so warm by the fourth, you can take in a movie in air-conditioned comfort or make a long night of it at the drive-in.
  6. Work shutdowns and vacations. Many companies still have summer shutdowns during the week of July 4th, prompting a number of employees to take vacations. This gives the week of the holiday some extra buoyancy, as more people are out of work, on vacation, less stressed, and generally happier.
  7. True Summer holiday. Independence Day is our only holiday that's pure summer. That is, it's right in the gut of summer. For those of us who love the season, early July is a wonderful time, with over two months of boundless summer still ahead.
  8. Party. Let's all be honest, for a moment. Independence Day is a great day for summer parties and responsible consumption. This isn't to say that there isn't a lot of drinking going on during other holidays, and of course nothing can top New Year's Eve for sheer partying and holiday carousing, but Independence Day is different. It's warm and you can drink in the sun, in your backyard or on the beach, and parties often stretch out through the day and into the evening.
  9. Fireworks. As Chandler Bing might say, "Fireworks are cool and you know it!" Yes, you know it, I know it, we all know it. There are bottle rockets, lady fingers, M-80s, sparklers, just to name a few. I loved watching fireworks when I was a kid, and I expect I always will.
  10. The Birth of a Nation. Ultimately, the best case for Independence Day may be that it's a celebration of our country and a reminder of how our freedoms were won and why it's so important to preserve them.
Happy Independence Day, everyone.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

When Weak Connections are Valuable at Work

I recently contributed an article to Information Outlook, the online magazine of the Special Libraries Association (SLA). The title is "When Weak Connections are Valuable at Work", and it's about how new networking tools enable us to cultivate workplace connections with people we rarely (or never) see but who can help us in important ways. Download the article as a PDF or read the web version below. When Weak Connections are Valuable at Work (PDF) When Weak Connections are Valuable at Work If you’re not sure who the weak ties are in your social network, look at the contacts on your phone. Chances are, there are some people in your contacts list you don’t call (much less see) on a regular basis, but you find it useful to keep them listed for those occasions when you do need to contact them. Perhaps your doctor, babysitter, mechanic, or accountant fits this description. If you use a social network like LinkedIn or Twitter professionally, you will have even mo
2 comments
Read more

The Business Model Innovation Factory by Saul Kaplan (Book Review)

As a culture, we strive for personal transformation. Whether it's eating better and getting fit, redefining our professional value proposition through training and education, or simply trying to be kinder and gentler, we're constantly reinventing who we are and what we can do. We may not be successful all the time, or achieve breakthroughs like those featured on The Biggest Loser or facilitated by Tony Robbins , but millions of people successfully transform and reinvent themselves every year. Unfortunately, the very organizations where we work generally do not do the same. As Saul Kaplan elaborates in The Business Model Innovation Factory , most organizations struggle to transform from their core, initial business models and tend to become stagnant and vulnerable to disruptive competitors. The example Kaplan leads with is Blockbuster, which for a time owned the brick and mortar video and DVD rental space, until they were "netflixed" by a disruptive competitor (
20 comments
Read more

Electric Snow Blower?

UPDATE - 12/15/2009 After some back and forth, we went with the Snow Joe Ultra 622U1 13 Amp Electric Snow Thrower. I'll be commenting about its performance as the winter progresses and we use it regularly, but we already had a chance to try it last Thursday (12/10), when the first big Lake Effect snow of the season dumped more than a foot of snow on us here just south of Buffalo. Based on the test run, the Snow Joe performed admirably, handling the one foot high snow in our driveway without issue and essentially doing everything I expected of a powerful torque but lightweight snow thrower. ORIGINAL POST - 8/17/2009 I know it's only August, but I live in Buffalo, and you always need to think ahead about snow. The last two winters, we went without any snow removal machinery, and it hasn't been fun. The first winter I just shoveled, and the second we hired a plowing service. The plow service was better than shoveling all the time, but there were still too many times
24 comments
Read more