Mitch Folster Jr., age 7, of Moorhead, Minn., for his question:
WHY DO WE CELEBRATE THE FOURTH OF JULY?
We celebrate on the Fourth of July because that is Independence Day for the United States. The day is actually the nation's birthday.
Independence Day is the anniversary of the day on which the Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Continental Congress: July 4, 1776.
July 4, 1981 marks the 205th birthday for the nation.
"I am apt to believe that Independence Day will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival," said John Adams, one of the nation's founding fathers.
"It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty," Adams continued. "It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward for evermore."
And Adams' suggestion has been followed. Americans do indeed celebrate happily every Fourth of July.
Independence Day was first celebrated in Philadelphia on July 8, 1776. The Declaration was read, bells were rung, bands played and the people rejoiced.
Independence Day has been celebrated throughout the country every year since 1776. It is also celebrated in the territories of the United States. In 1941, just 40 years ago, Congress officially declared July 4 a federal legal holiday.
In early days, Independence Days were occasions for shows, games, sports, military music and fireworks. And sometimes the holidays ended in sorrow.
Fireworks and the firing of guns and cannon caused hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries throughout the years. In the early 1900s, many people began to plead for a "safe and sane Fourth." As a result, many cities and states passed laws forbidding the sale of fireworks.
Because of the laws forbidding the sale of fireworks, many communities have hired trained men to explode them at special evening celebrations. Also, many communities began to stress the patriotic nature of the holiday.
Many cities today celebrate the Fourth of July with programs and pageants, games and plays, athletic contests and picnics. Fourth of July parades are also popular in many towns across the nation.
Fifty six members of the Continental Congress signed the Declaration of Independence.
Today the original Declaration of independence is displayed in an upright case in the National Archives Building in Washington, D.C. The Declaration stands above the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights. All these historic documents are sealed under glass.