Happy Birthday America!

On July 4, 1776 the Declaration of Independence was signed by the Continental Congress and the rest, as they say, is history. Our country’s birth as an independent nation is celebrated anually by families across the counrty. We polled our staffers, freelancers, and volunteers (and a few social media friends!) to put together our Top 10 Ways to Celebrate July 4th.

1. Cookout, BBQ, picnic – Food definitely tops the list! No matter how you label it, getting together with friends and family on the 4th usually guarentees you get to EAT! Kristin Planamente says, “Crabs and corn on the cob, plus my mom’s tomato cucumber salad” are a family tradition she looks forward to each year. Bonus points for Old Bay on the corn!
2. Baseball game –  Many on staff opt for a the game dubbed, “America’s Favorite Pastime”. MLB makes it fun with stars and stripes uniforms for the holiday week. Bonus: Ballpark hotdogs! While these are this author’s personal fave, many stadiums now have unique foods like Chesapeake fries (The Flying Dog Grill, Section 27) at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Go O’s! See more of your favorite ball parks ranked by their food via Will Fulton’s post on thrilllist.com.
3. Movie – A few friends say that taking in a movie (or two) during the day is their tradition. Usually the movie is followed by a cookout with family or friends. However, no one seemed to have a fave Independence Day movie, not even the movie “Independence Day” (1996, 20th Century Fox). Hmmmm…
4. Cold Drink by the Pool aka, ‘Grillin’ and Chillin’ – In a move made famous by my friend and mentor, “Slammer”, the Jedi Master of Grillin’ and Chillin’,  many posted or PM’d that food grilled to perfection plus an ice cold beverage by the pool is the way to go for the 4th. No drive home or Uber to pay. The only rule is Relax!
5. Fashion & Lawn Accessories – There’s no shortage of stars and stripes swag in stores and across the internet. Grab a new tee-shirt and lawn ornaments and show your Free spirit!
6. Badmitton Games – This. Is. Awesome. Thanks Virgilio Family for bringing this sexy game back! And pretty unique given the number of cornhole/cornhole tournament responses. This game deserves a backyard resurgence so here’s a link for purchase information. If you do play, please share pics!
7. Rereading of the Declaration of Independence – It’s worth the re-read. Thanks to our friends at Ukazoo Books for posting this link via Facebook! Visit them for the best in new and used books here.
8. Parade – Everyone loves a parade, especially one celebrating a special day or event! If you can’t make it out to your local parade, you can watch the National Independence Day Parade here.
9. Hang the Flag – Whether it fits in the palm of your hand or is super-sized, flying the American flag on the 4th is a popular way to celebrate. For rules on how to properly display your flag, be sure to check out the Flag Code as posted by The American Legion.
10. Fireworks – Of course no 4th of July is complete with out fireworks. Whether you set them off from you boat or backyard, head to a local park, watch from a cozy spot on the beach, or simply take it in on t.v., an annual fireworks display (preferabley with music) is the way most of of us end our night.

Now it’s your turn. What is your favorite way to celebrate America’s independence? Comment below and share with us on social media.

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