John Adams wrote home to his wife on July 3^rd, 1776, telling her that July the 2^nd would go down in history. He went on to tell her that the day would be celebrated with “parades and pomp and bell ringing. “ It seems our founding fathers considered July 2^nd as the birthday of our nation; obviously it was 2 days later that the Declaration of Independence was officially signed, and the iconic signatures and date were thus established.

Here’s a fun fact. If Benjamin Franklin had his way, our image would have been remarkably different. Franklin was concerned over the choice of the bald eagle as our national bird, calling it a bird of “bad moral character”. His choice for our proud national bird? None other than the turkey, which Franklin said was bold and a “native American” bird.

In 1777, one year after the signing, the first official celebration in Philadelphia consisted of a parade, a thirteen cannon salute and fireworks. Over the years, these traditions have persisted; because of the summer date, folks have made picnics and barbecues as distinctly American as the earlier activities. Although history tells us that John Adams and his wife Abigail sat down with a festive meal of salmon, turtle soup, peas and potatoes; we have a modern twist. On July 4^th we eat more hot dogs off the grill than any other day of the year – an estimated 155 million of them!

Now that you have a few interesting facts to share, you are ready to celebrate! If you want to decorate your home or picnic table, we suggest the Spirit of America, a proud collection of red roses and white daisies arranged in a blue vase and crowned with an American Flag. For this or other patriotic bouquets to display your American pride, call Stadium Flowers of Everett to help you decorate. We have floral arrangements for all occasions – call us today!