Independence Day has been celebrated on July 4th since the year 1776. This was the day that the delegates of the original colonies signed a Declaration of Independence from England. Thomas Jefferson wrote the declaration and it marked the birth of the United States of America.
From the very first celebration, the day has been filled with noise and explosions - bells ringing and cannons firing and displays of fireworks. There are also parades, marching bands and picnics and cookouts. All of these things have come to be the traditional way of celebrating our nation's birthday. Also, you can't seem to go anywhere without seeing an American Flag blowing in the breeze or proudly being displayed in some way.
I think
"Old
Glory" is a beautiful flag.
~ To hear
"You're
A Grand Old Flag", click on "Old Glory" and
sing along
with the words below. ~
*****
You're
a grand old flag!
You're
a high-flyin' flag
And forever
in peace may you wave.
You're
the emblem of
The land
I love,
The home
of the free and the brave.
Every heart
beats true
For the
red, white and blue
And there's
never a boast or brag.
Should
auld acquaintance be forgot?
Keep your
eye on the Grand Old Flag!
*****
Do you know what all the colors on the flag stand for? What about the stripes and the stars? Well, incase you don't know, I'll tell you.
The 13 stripes
on the flag stand for the 13 original colonies which are:
Delaware,
Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland,
South Carolina, New Hampshire, Virginia, New York, North Carolina and Rhode
Island.
The 50 stars in a field of blue (representing a new constellation) represent each state which was adopted into the union. The last state adopted was Hawaii which was in 1960.
White signifies purity and innocence. Red stands for hardiness and valor and blue signifies vigilance, perseverance and justice. Also, the star is a symbol of the heavens and the divine goal to which man has aspired from the beginning of time. The stripes are symbolic of the rays of light emanating from the sun.
I have also
heard mentioned through the years that the red in the flag also stood for
the blood that was shed by the soldiers who fought for our freedom.
This, however, is not official, but was noted in a sentimental way by poets
and story writers.
"The Star Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States and was officially recognized by Congress as such in the year 1931. It's stirring words were written by Francis Scott Key.
Click on the music notes to hear the national anthem and sing along with the words below.
THE STAR
SPANGLED BANNER
"Oh,
say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so
proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad
stripes and bright stars
through
the perilous fight
o'er the
ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming.
And the
rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air
gave proof
through the night
that our
flag was still there.
Oh say
does that star spangled banner yet wave
o'er the
land of the free
and the
home of the brave?"
(To
continue listening to the page's original music, click reload.)
The Pledge of Allegiance
"I pledge
allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic
for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with
liberty
and justice for all."
America
is
a
wonderful place
to
live!
"We Woof-muffins are very happy
that we
have our freedom, but we are
sad about something.
For some animals, America is
NOT a wonderful place to live!
Some furbabies live in prisons
called "puppy mills" and
"puppy mills" are a
terrible place to live. The people who
run these places do not really
care about the animals.
They treat them badly and don't
care for them properly. They
just want to make money by
selling as many animals as
they can. Many animals
get very sick and die. Many are
born with genetic defects and
are put to sleep.
All animals have a right to
be treated kindly and taken
care of so they stay healthy,
happy and strong.
Please do
not buy a pet from a "puppy mill" or a "cattery"!!!
AND, do
not buy a dog or a cat from a pet shop!
99 and 99/100ths of the
time those animals
are from puppy mills
or illegal catteries and
they have not been bred
or raised properly. They
will have either congenital
defects or
be very ill or have behavorial
problems from being
treated so badly and
not cared for properly.
The shop owner may tell
you that they were
gotten from "good and
reliable breeders" -
don't believe it!
Help us in the fight against
these horrible places.
The animals
there are victims of GREED!
For more information, please
check
out the following links, and
we Woof-muffins encourage you
to help in any way you can.
Don't all animals have a right
to live a life without suffering?
Doesn't every living creature
deserve the right to live
a happy and healthy life and
be loved?
We think so!"
"
My husband
gave me a digital camera for our anniversary one year
and I was
able to capture this photo of fireworks with it. The fireworks were
down by
the river wharf in historic Bristol, Pennsylvania, on July 4, 2000.
I took
this photo
from the 15th floor balcony of a building I was in across town. Not
too
shabby,
huh?! I'd say the camera takes really good pictures!
(Incase
you're wondering, it's an Olympus D-640Zoom.)
Some graphics
usedon
this pageare
copyrighted by"
Billy
Bear ".
This page
is hosted by
"Joanne's
Woof-muffins" © 1998 - 2006 by Joanne M. Porter
TianshingI@AOL.com
premiered
March 1998
All of
the graphics seen here are being used with permission.
