The 4th of July is the day we celebrate our nation’s independence but here are some little known facts about the 4th of July that perhaps you didn’t know.

July 4th is our day as Americans to celebrate our nation’s independence. We have barbecues, watch fireworks displays and spend the day enjoying our freedom with friends and family. But did you know that July 2nd should actually be our Independence day? Here are a few little known facts about the 4th of July that you may, or may not, have known:

• The signing of the constitution took place on July 2nd but Congress did not accept it for two days, therefore making the official day July 4th, 1776.
• What further marked this fate was the strange coincidence that two of the original signers, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, both died on July 4th, 1826. They died within hours of each other. Another signer, James Monroe also died on July 4th, but it was five years later in 1831.
• Congress did not make it an official national holiday until 1870 when all major holidays were celebrated on a federal level. It was still an unpaid holiday, however, until 1938.
• The 4th of July is the biggest hot dog holiday of the year. Although this may not be a huge surprise to some of you, it is reported that Americans eat 155 million hot dogs on average on the 4th of July.
• The Liberty Bell has been a long signal of American independence.  Due to the large crack, the bell hasn’t been rung since 1846. However, a little known fact about the 4th of July you may not have known, the Liberty Bell is tapped 13 times every Independence Day to recognize the original 13 colonies. This signals bells across our nation to start ringing as well.
• Calvin Coolidge, our 30th president was born on July 4th, 1872.
• The Declaration of Independence was actually published in newspapers announcing it publicly.  The Pennsylvania Evening Post was the first to print it.
• The Philippines and Rwanda both share our Independence Day on July 4th. Rwanda calls it “Liberation Day” marking the end of Rwandan genocide as of 1994. The Philippines was recognized as an independent nation by the United States on that day, but has since changed their Independence Day to July 12th.  They refer to it as “Republic Day.” Nevertheless, they still recognize the importance of July 4th for their country.

Did you know all those little known facts about the 4th of July?  I know I didn’t! Regardless, what we all know is that we live in the best country in the world! Celebrating this day allows us to bring back a sense of community and love for our country.  What better way is there to remind us how lucky we are for the freedoms we have? All of us at R&R Containers would like to wish everyone a very safe and happy 4th of July!