Independence Day is my hands-down favorite holiday of all time. Here's why: to start with, it's nicely inclusive. If you are within the borders of the U.S.A. you can celebrate it regardless of things like, say, religion (I'm looking at YOU, Christmas). It's nice to have a day when I can feel patriotic without nasty partisanship inflecting it. It's in summer. It centers around delicious food - coolers full of ice and drinks in glass bottles, barbecue, pie, whatever your variation on Flag Cake might be. It's sort of a second-tier holiday that your in-laws probably won't get too het up about your choosing to spend it with friends. And it has superb music. In addition to all of the stirring patriotic music involving fifes, which get their place in the musical sun precisely one day a year, there is the BEST holiday song ever recorded. I am speaking, of course, of Bruce Springsteen's "Fourth Of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)." Which just ties it all together like the rug does to The Dude's room in "The Big Lebowski." Good on ya, Bruce.
As if all of this weren't enough, there are fireworks.
And my own local bit of treasured hokum: at the branch library where I work, the neighborhood marching band assembles for their one and only annual practice sesh right on the sidewalk, treating us to lovably amateurish renditions of "You're A Grand Old Flag" and such in preparation for the parade. This year, they added "So Happy Together" to their repertoire. It feels Mayberry-ish in the best possible way. So happy fourth to the three people who read my blog.
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