Well, the big community picnic and fireworks display are a non-starter this year. The parade through Main Street will be sparsely attended this time around. I guess we might as well cancel celebrating Independence Day.
WHAT???
Of course, we are just kidding. In fact, we can safely engage in celebrating Independence Day without losing a bit of the meaning of the day itself. We just have to re-think our process, and by the process, we mean, “No crowds means more shortcake for me!”
Indeed, for many, Independence Day means an enormous barbecue, followed by parades and fireworks. This year, with a highly contagious COVID-19 pandemic barreling through the country, many are considering a different kind of celebration. That is what your friends at Gildshire are doing and, to help you be safe honoring Independence Day, we have brainstormed some options just for you!
Backyard BBQ for Just a Few
You are used to getting up early on Independence Day to prepare for the barbecue. The alarm goes off so oh-dark-thirty, in fact, that it feels less like a day off and more like Thanksgiving in July. This year, instead of a 50-person blowout, make a guest list that honors your most intimate family and friends. Whatever size gathering you create, blaze up that Big Green Egg and go for broke!
Celebrating Independence Day Grill-Master Style
- hot dogs
- burgers
- chicken
- ribs
- corn
- more ribs
Does your family include lovers of the product of the Seven Seas?
- peel ‘n eat shrimp
- crabs
Include sides, such as:
- potato salad
- fruit salad
- macaroni salad
Tell me that spread does not sound like a celebration!
Decorate & Celebrate
Your house and yard are your canvas. Consider putting up bunting, or painting fireworks on your windows. Get the kids involved in the preparation, and use the time together to talk about America and what she should become.
If you live in an area where it can get chilly at night, even in July, light a small fire and roast marshmallows. Break out the s’mores for an evening nightcap.
Watch a Patriotic Movie Marathon
There are scores of great films out there with American Independence as their theme or backdrop. A partial list includes:
- Top Gun: Nothing like jet engines and testosterone to honor our Independence.
- The American President: Watch an eminently likable president fall into the top job, only to navigate love and deftly manage political upheaval.
- National Treasure: Nicolas Cage finds a treasure map hidden on the back of the Declaration of Independence (because why not?)
- Independence Day: Saving the United States is a cinch, so just watch Will Smith save the world from aliens with bad intentions.
- Mr. Smith Goes to Washington: Gildshire has a soft spot for this Jimmy Stuart classic, because Stuart plays an idealistic young politician. (“Send in a penny, or a nickel. Nothing more than a dime.”)
- A League of Their Own: There was a professional baseball league for women during World War 2, and for several years after. Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, and Jon Lovitz are outstanding.
Celebrating Independence Day in a new way doesn’t mean it has to be less than stellar. You may find a new tradition that you enjoy more than traditions from the past. However, you celebrate the day, make it your own, because we all deserve a special day?
