I am from a small central Illinois town and remember parades, ice cream socials, street dances and fireworks, and I have always loved it. I read the Declaration of Independence every 4th of July. This year, I feel very sad about what has happened in our country since Trump is president, and destroying everything good about our country. I just stayed home, and my daughter and son in law came for dinner. We didn't talk about it. A very dark time in America.

Right now, it's a giant pain in my ass.
Stupid fucking neighbors are blowing off fireworks and the dogs are losing
their minds.
I hate this fucking "holiday".

I thought it was funny that the majority of songs they played at our town's fireworks celebration were actually protest songs or critical of the US in some way ("Pink Houses", "Born in the USA" , etc.). I mean, just because it has "America" in the lyrics doesn't make it a patriotic song, you dumb asses. Just shows once more the lack of intellectual awareness amongst the " 'Mur-ika" contingency...

Another day. A little noisier, but just another day.

Celebrate losing one of our colonies temporarily? Nope!

For me it was a nice break. I had it as a paid day off and I did work a bit just to be ahead of the game today, but in general I was lazy....

EXCEPT...

I got a new kitten

I do not and actually hate this holiday. Friggin rednecks shooting off shit since Saturday including M80's! Makes me jump Every time!

These days, it's just another day off for me. I don't even put out the flag on this day anymore--ever since you know who is in the White House. In my opinion there's nothing to celebrate.

It's an ordinary day, because I'm not an American who thinks that the whole world revolves around them.

It's nice time to spend time with some family.

No, I don’t. There is a thin line between patriotism and jingoism. That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t go to a 4th of July party.

I'm in the UK, so no.

It seems a spurious reason to have a national holiday. Celebrating the severing of ties to the British Empire whilst imposing colonialism on a previous culture (Native Americans). Double standards.

I'll go watch fireworks, but I wouldn't say it holds any special significance to me.

Its what ever happens that day. I've spent 800 dollars once on food, drinks, and fireworks. It was fun. I watch tv now and be thankful and grateful.

I just rolled up the flag. It was waving in the breeze all day. In my little hamlet, I am the only one putting out a flag on Independence Day. I felt like drawing a skull and crossbone on it, but could not find the black marker. No taxation without repreentation, dudes!

Just like any day should be a reason to spend time with people that do not define you.

It tends to be a day of introspection for me. I wonder at the people looking at 'the pretty lights' and listening to the explosions, and I wonder just how many realise that each one going off represents people dieing. Sorry. I get a bit moody during any holiday where people eat too much, drink too much, and make a lot of noise. (I guess that's all of them.)

In our area it's a time to huddle with our dogs who are always traumatized by fireworks...

I was into it as a kid, because it was fun to blow up shit with M80s and shoot off Roman candles. As an adult, no not really.

What? Did I miss something?

What does the 4th of July have to do with religion, or having no religion? Why would you even ask such a question? I went and watched (actually video) the fireworks.

Just another day. But if I have nothing going on and there’s food, why not? No need to be patriotic/ nationalist to enjoy.

I pray for all those lighting fireworks be immediately rapchurred. And thereby live, like, forever. Doing mostly nothing. I know all who get there, deserve that.

And of course, the planet would be much better with those few hundred millions being gone within seconds.

Yes and no, I think. I'm originally from Massachusetts, so the 4th of July has a certain amount of home state feeling to it, seeing as that's where the whole thing started.

I also sort of like the 4th of July because I'm the reigning King of the Introverts, and most retail operations are still open. So if I need to run a few shopping errands like I did today, the stores are all open, and I don't have to rub elbows with many of my fellow humans.