How Do You Celebrate?
Posted by Rebecca Teti in Family on Saturday, July 04, 2009 12:00 PM
Rachel showed us her yummy ol’ flag.
We have family traditions and political traditions. On the nerdy side, we usually attend a potluck cook-out with other political philosophy grads who’ve ended up in official Washington.
It’s nice to see that policy wonks have families and eat hot dogs like everyone else.
But it bores the stuffing out of the kids, to be honest—it’s usually too hot to make full use of playground equipment, so for them, it’s standing around listening to grown-ups debating what Aristotle would say about Judge Sotomayor and figuring out how to recover the Western philosophical tradition.
At some point in the afternoon we cut the philosophizing short and head to my parents’ place, where there is a pool, often the first corn on the cob of the season, and sparklers. (Although this year, literal Uncle Sam—my brother—has promised a more fantastical display—I’ll let you know.)
Someday I plan to start taking the kids to the NSO concert and national fireworks display on the Mall ( a favorite memory from when I was a kid). I think it’s important to mark our national day with some form of participation in the larger community and I want my kids to be with their fellow Americans on 4th of July. But small child bladder control is an issue at present. Maybe next year.
At some point in the evening we’ll read the Declaration of Independence aloud, praise God for the gift of liberty and pray for our nation, her people and her leaders.
And you? Do you have a traditional menu for Independence Day?
Do you mark the day with special readings or prayers? Do you take part in parades or other community activities?
Do tell! And if you took pictures or blogged about it, leave a link to that post in Mr. Linky, below.
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