Next: 4 Jul 2027
Independence Day (United States)
Red, white and blue on bunting, clothes, cakes and fireworks for the Fourth of July.
The colours of Independence Day (United States)
On 4 July 1776 the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence. The day is kept with parades, barbecues and fireworks, all in red, white and blue. Porches are hung with bunting, half-circles of pleated cloth in the three colours. People wear flag-patterned shirts, and cakes are topped with strawberries, blueberries and cream. The colours came from the British flag, and the men who chose them gave no meaning at the time. In 1782, describing the national seal, the secretary of Congress wrote that white stood for purity and innocence, red for hardiness and valour, and blue for vigilance, perseverance and justice, and those words are now applied to the flag. Fireworks of red strontium and blue copper salts end the night.
#B22234Old Glory redSeven stripes: hardiness and valour.#FFFFFFFlag whiteSix stripes and fifty stars: purity and innocence.#3C3B6EOld Glory blueThe canton: vigilance, perseverance and justice.Values are fair approximations, not official shades.
Read about the colours
Written by the Rang desk with AI assistance. Background: "Independence Day (United States)" on Wikipedia. Customs differ from family to family and place to place. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.