Dear readers,

    Americans celebrated the 4th of July this past week. July 4, also known as Independence Day, is a holiday that marks the United States’ declaration of independence from Great Britain back in 1776. On that day, the famous document, the Declaration of Independence, was ratified by Congress. A symbolic piece of American history, the original Declaration of Independence is on display at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.

    There are many interesting facts about the Declaration of Independence. For example, while watching a recent “Jeopardy” episode, I learned that the phrase “United States of America” was first used in the Declaration of Independence. Jeopardy is a popular game show in America where contestants buzz in to answer trivia questions. The reverse Q&A format is an iconic component of the show. The “questions” are given as statements, while the “answers” are given in the form of a question that usually begins with “what is” or “who is” before the answer itself. For example, a question could be “This national holiday is celebrated on July 4,” and the answer would be “What is Independence Day?” The unique structure of the show is one of the reasons for its popularity over the decades.

    Enough trivia — back to the 4th of July. People usually celebrate July 4 with a fireworks display. Fireworks have a long history, originating in China long ago. Since summer days are longer, the fireworks show we saw didn’t start until 9 p.m. When it finally got dark, splashes of vibrant colors lit up the black skies. My favorite part of the display was a series of fireworks that burst into overlapping rings of red, blue and green. The rings widened slowly for a few seconds and then showered down until the sparks gradually disappeared. Fireworks displays are usually held on July 5 as well. Beaches often host fireworks displays by the water on both days, putting on a beautiful show for surfers, sunbathers and castle-building toddlers at the end of the day. After all, who doesn’t enjoy laying back and watching bright fireworks unfold against the sky with the calming winds of the sea blowing gently by.

    Sincerely,

    Bingyin