Are you at a loss for ways to spruce up your July 4th festivities? Here are a few ideas to make this year’s Independence Day more patriotic (and more fun and memorable):
Bake an apple pie. The phrase “as American as apple pie” has been around since the 1850’s, and Swedish, Dutch and British immigrants brought the tradition over with them to America in the late 1690’s. The apple pie recipe we recognize today was published in the first-ever American cookbook in 1798, and the acknowledgment of apple pie as a patriotic American symbol exploded after The New York Times published this comment on apple pie in 1902: "Pie is...the secret of our strength as a nation and the foundation of our industrial supremacy. Pie is the American synonym of prosperity. Pie is the food of the heroic. No pie-eating people can be permanently vanquished.”
Watch “Independence Day.” If Bill Pullman’s now-famous speech doesn’t bring a tear to your eye and a swelled-up feeling of American pride, you might need to check your pulse.
Fly those stars and stripes. There is nothing more American than the freedom we have to fly our country’s flag to show our patriotism. Seeing others with their flags hanging from their front porch, their car, or even in wearing a pin of the American flag brings a renewed sense of hope in our great nation and a thankfulness for all who have gone before us to bring us the independence we have now.
Play a game of baseball. Baseball is America’s pastime, so round up a few friends, grab a bat, ball and some mitts, and make some bases out of whatever you can find, and live it up like you’re 10 years old again! Afterwards, you could even indulge in an American beverage…. a Coca-Cola, some Kool-Aid, or maybe a Budweiser if you’re of age and drinking responsibly.
Light up some fireworks. This is for the grown-ups, of course, but how fun is it to set off your own fireworks, to fling around sparklers like hundreds of tiny lightning bugs, and enjoy the simpler things in life for a moment? Not to mention, it’s a tribute and moment of remembrance for the sounds that generations past have incurred while on the battlefield, fighting for our nation’s freedom.
Tell a military person “thank you.” Hug a vet. If you see someone in fatigues, don’t look the other way, thank them for their service to our country. You can never tell the servicemen and women “thank you” enough for devoting their lives to protecting our country’s freedom and liberties.
Fire up the grill and invite the neighbors over. Okay, maybe not that last part if you have weird neighbors. But grab some burgers and hot dogs and have a good old-fashioned cook-out! If you’re feeling extra celebratory, and it’s not 100 degrees outside, grab a red and white checkered blanket or tablecloth and make it a picnic—add in some watermelon, some potato salad and/or cole slaw, and you’ve got yourself an American backyard celebration!
Sing patriotic songs. A few lines of “My Country ‘Tis of Thee,” “America the Beautiful,” or “God Bless America” sends goose bumps down our back every time.
Find a local parade or watch the fireworks on TV. Joining a larger July 4th celebration is an incredible bonding experience and brings like-minded individuals together to celebrate our country and its independence, not to mention, it’s just fun to get out and do things like this every once in a while!
Drink Republican Coffee. You knew we would include this, right? What could be more patriotic than purchasing and drinking a coffee that is fair-trade, organic, grown by small-lot entrepreneurial farmers, that has been hand-selected and hand-roasted by a patriotic American who comes from a line of military family members, on an historic Southern farm in the foothills of Nashville, TN, a stone’s throw from where President James K. Polk actually campaigned? Plus the packaging is a feel-good mix of stars and stripes, red, white and blue!
Teach your kids why we celebrate Independence Day. If you have kids, July 4th is a prime opportunity to explain why the date is so important; why our flag means so much; why the sound and appearance of fireworks is so significant; and why it’s crucial to always remember and thank those serving for our country. There are a ton of resources to teach kids about Independence Day here.
Whatever you do this Independence Day, we hope you have a safe, fun, patriotic day to celebrate our nation’s independence and our many freedoms!
(Information Sources: http://priceonomics.com/how-apple-pie-became-american/)
Click here to buy patriotic Republican Coffee!
]Want some great entertaining ideas? Check out this blog!
