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July 4th Remembrance
Who doesn’t love the 4th of July?
Cookouts, picnics, parades…don’t forget the fireworks! You
may know the reason why we celebrate this holiday, but do
your kids?
This holiday had a special
meaning this year, the first Independence Day after 9/11,
especially since the country is in the middle of a great
debate over the Pledge of Allegiance. You teach your
children the meaning behind Christmas, so why not teach
them about the history of our country?
Since it’s probably been a few
years since civics class, turn to the Internet for a quick
refresher. An excellent place to start is Holidays On The
Net (http://www.holidays.net/independence/
). July 4th is not the day that the American colonies
received their independence from England, as the name
might suggest. On that date in 1776, members of the
Continental Congress signed the Declaration of
Independence, after years of trying to work things out
without resorting to a formal declaration of war. In June
of 1776, Thomas Jefferson wrote the first draft of the
Declaration, which he presented on June 28th. After much
debate, the final version was voted on and signed by some
of the members on July 4th. Out of the 13 original
colonies, nine voted yes, Pennsylvania and South Carolina
voted no, Delaware was undecided and New York abstained.
All parties didn’t sign the Declaration until August.
Now that you remember the basics,
it’s time to pass them on to the kids.
Preschoolers won’t be able to
understand much, but you can start with basic etiquette.
Teach them that they should stand and remove their hats
when the national anthem is played. A good way to teach
that in a fun way is to take them to a baseball game. Plan
to attend a game next year on the 4th because the home
team usually has a good display of fireworks afterwards.
Older kids will know some basic
history from school, but you can supplement that
knowledge. Ask them if they can name all 13 original
colonies (that’s Virginia, Massachusetts, New York,
Maryland, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Delaware, New
Hampshire, North Carolina, South Carolina, New Jersey,
Pennsylvania, and Georgia). If you live in New England,
take the kids to a reenactment. If you don’t, rent the Mel
Gibson movie, “The Patriot”. True, it’s a movie and some
details are exaggerated, but it gives a decent glimpse
into life during the Revolutionary War.
If none of you have ever seen the
Declaration of Independence, this is a good time to read
it. It’s available online through Holidays On The Net’s
Independence Day page (http://www.holidays.net/independence/declar.htm).
You may have to explain some of
the words they used though – not many people use
“consanguinity” or “redress” these days.
This would also be a good time to
teach kids about the history of our flag and the proper
etiquette in displaying it. September 11th has been
designated as Patriots Day and citizens are asked to fly
their flags. The American flag should only be displayed
from sunrise to sunset, unless it’s illuminated. It should
always be flown right side up (field of stars on the upper
left) except in a case of extreme distress. If flown with
a state flag, the American flag should always be on top.
If flown with the flag of another country, each should be
the same size and flown on separate poles of equal size.
More information on flag etiquette can be found at the
Holiday On The Net’s Independence Day page (http://www.holidays.net/independence/flag.htm)
and on the National Flag Foundation’s page (http://www.americanflags.org/html/etiquette/index.html).
Try to keep these lessons as
enjoyable as possible – after all, kids learn more when it
is fun! If you want to teach them how many “stars and
bars” are on the flag, make a flag cake. Directions can be
found in many magazines this time of year. An easy recipe
calls for a sheet cake with white frosting, sliced
strawberries lined up for the red stripes and blueberries
for the star field. A more ambitious project could be
making a large flag on your lawn using potted red, white
and blue flowers, such as petunias.
This Independence Day was
especially meaningful, given the events of the past year.
Teaching your children the story behind the holiday will
not only educate them about our country’s history, but
might help them understand why so many people have made so
many sacrifices over the centuries to keep it intact. The
Fourth of July is so much more than just an excuse to make
potato salad. It’s a day to honor our forefathers and
foremothers, who changed the world forever.
Links:
Holiday On The Net’s Independence
Day page
http://www.holidays.net/independence/flag.htm
National Flag Foundation’s page
http://www.americanflags.org/html/etiquette/index.html.
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