by Nicole Luzzolino
As the Fourth of July quickly approaches this weekend, it feels surprising that we are going to be able to celebrate in normalcy, compared to last year’s holiday.
The Fourth of July is a day to celebrate the birth of American independence, with fireworks, barbecues, parties, and concerts. It is a day to honor those that have fallen and fought for the land we stand upon each and every day.
Unfortunately, many of the positives surrounding the holiday have been overshadowed by the negatives of the year. Firework events all over are being canceled, with New Jersey being the prime example. On June 19, an unruly outdoor “party” erupted at a New Jersey beach town that had hundreds of teenagers acting destructively and wild, to the point where more fears of these gatherings forced many Fourth of July firework shows to shut down.
There are also ads populating every website for Amazon, Wayfair, Home Depot, and others, pushing consumers to shop their Fourth of July sales and to snag as many deals as possible throughout the day. One also cannot ignore the incredibly high gas prices and traffic jams all throughout the nation as holiday traveling begins.
In the eyes of some, there seems to be such negatives surrounding the holiday that it doesn’t even seem worth it to celebrate. However, in 2021, this is a year more than ever that the Fourth of July deserves to be celebrated, especially surrounded by all of our loved ones.
In the United States, as of July 1, 602,401 people passed away from COVID-19. When quarantine
began, it felt like the world was over, and we could only hope and pray that we wouldn’t contract the deadly disease, one that was so unknown at the time. Those 602,401people will not be able to see monumental moments with their families and live out the rest of their lives to the fullest.
So, this Fourth of July is more than just celebrating a day of independence; it is a day to celebrate the family and loved ones we have around us. While some family units may be a bit different now, this holiday weekend should be one to honor the ones not with us and love the ones that are still with us today.
Fourth of July is way more than just dressing up in patriotic colors and playing drinking games by the pool. The national holiday is meant to be a day of honoring those that made the United States a free nation, but this holiday, more than ever before, should be a day to keep our loved ones close and be grateful for the family you have.
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