What Americans Are Doing On July 4th
Happy 250th birthday to the United State of America!
This July 4th marks a special Independence Day – marking 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
How will Americans be celebrating this big milestone?
Well, millions of us will be traveling somewhere over the holiday weekend! AAA projects 72.2 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home this year, a slight increase over last year.
Most will go by car – about 61.4 million. Another 5.85 million will fly, and 4.93 million will take another mode of transportation: buses, trains, or cruises!
The National Retail Federation said 87% of consumers will celebrate the 4th, and by far, most plan to do it with food!
The average American will spend about $94.41 on food for the 4th – including things for that traditional barbecue like hot dogs, hamburgers, chips, dips, and salads.
Barbecues are probably the #1 way to celebrate the 4th of July. Other popular activities include parades, lawn games, water activities, and of course, music!
There are a few new ways to celebrate this year as well. CNN has this list of 14 unique ways to celebrate, including historical re-enactments across the country. For the first time in history, the iconic Times Square Ball will also drop in New York City on a day other than New Year’s Eve! The ball is dropping a total of eight times, marking midnight across every U.S. time zone and inhabited territory. There are also events planned at Mount Rushmore and in Washington, D.C.
No matter how you choose to celebrate, Happy 4th of July!