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International News
Published on Monday, July 4, 2022 By the A.M. Costa Rica staff and wire services
The Fourth of July may be the most patriotic day on the U.S. calendar. Independence Day celebrates the decision by the 13 original colonies to renounce British rule and form the United States. However, that decision did not happen on July 4.
Representatives of the colonies actually voted for independence on July 2, 1776. Two days later, they approved the Declaration of Independence, a document that explained the vote. Many believed the country should celebrate on July 2, the anniversary of the vote. However, copies of the declaration were so widely circulated that July 4 became the day to remember.
Modern Fourth of July celebrations include parades, picnics, political speeches and fireworks.
U.S. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden are will host a Fourth of July barbecue for military families on the South Lawn of the White House Monday afternoon. Later in the day, they will watch the Independence Day fireworks display at the National Mall, Voice of America Journal reported.
Americans
are hitting the roads and skies in
numbers not seen since before the
pandemic to celebrate the Fourth of July
holiday weekend. The mass of travelers for the holiday, also known as Independence Day, is testing airlines and airports, which have struggled to keep up with demand.
Hundreds of flights were canceled Friday and thousands more were delayed, according to the flight tracking site, FlightAware.
More than
2.4 million travelers got an early start
to the weekend, making their way through
Transportation Security Administration
checkpoints. That surpassed levels from
before the pandemic in 2019 and was
13.8% higher than the number of
travelers last year, according
to TSA data. Travel by car is also expected to be heavy.
The auto membership group, AAA, predicts 47.9 million people will travel 50 miles or more from home over the holiday weekend. That is slightly less than the number of travelers in 2019 but comes despite near-record high gas prices.
Last year’s Fourth of July holiday was expected to coincide with a turning point in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, however, new surges of the virus at that time put a damper on the celebrations in some locations.
This year, most places in America have lifted COVID restrictions and federal airline regulations allow for mask-free travel.
The uptick in travel and vacations has left airlines struggling to keep up. Many encouraged their workers to quit or take early retirement in the early days of the pandemic when travel virtually came to a halt. Now they are having difficulty hiring and training new workers and many airlines have cut their summer schedule to try to prevent the chaos of last-minute flight cancelations.
About 3.55 million Americans are expected to fly this holiday weekend, AAA said.
While travel is heavy during the Fourth of July holiday, many more Americans stay home and enjoy backyard barbecues, picnics and neighborhood parades.
Fireworks are one of the hallmarks of Independence Day celebrations, with thousands of communities across the nation organizing annual displays, including one of the largest displays set off in Washington, the nation’s capital.
Each state has its own laws governing fireworks sales and use, but many also allow individuals to set off fireworks in their own backyards.
While in Costa Rica, Expats looking to celebrate Independence Day today, have some options.
Voice of America Journal, VOA, is the U.S. government news agency funded by the U.S. Congress.
------------ What have you heard about expats parties to celebrate the Fourth of July in Costa Rica? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com
  
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