Happy July 4th!

[KateH.]

Most celebrate 4th of July with family parties and barbeque and some choose to do nothing. It depends on the person. As Roger wrote, there are lots of flags flying and people tend to cover themselves in red, white, and blue everything.

Smaller events (some with no fireworks) can be hosted by both big cities and small towns. Port Royal hosted one yesterday. It was a collaboration between the town vendors and Historic Port Royal.

Fireworks are legal to buy in some states. Maryland is one of them so there are firework stands everywhere. Shows can be organized both by the public and by private organizations. Some people make their own displays. When I was little, a neighbor set off fireworks for everyone on the street. Then there are towns that hire people to create something grander and then there are huge televised productions in cities that are staged by professional, include celebrity performances, and can last for hours. New York, Boston, and D.C. are the main ones.

Some stores choose to open and some choose to close. It depends on the business. Sometimes smaller, privately owned businesses close. There is no mail delivery.