Boom, Boom, POW! Happy Birthday America!

Independence Day, more commonly known as the 4^th of July is the National Day of the United States of America. It celebrates the day America declared its independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain.

During the American Revolution the 13 colonies voted to legally separate from Great Britain on July 2, 1776. After voting for their independence Congress wrote a statement explaining this decision, the Committee of Five debated and revised the wording for 2 days. The final result was the Declaration of Independence. Officially signed on the 4^th day of July in 1776; America’s Birthday.

Since the first anniversary of the United States, American’s have celebrated this national holiday with  feasts, music, parades, speeches, prayers, even 13 gun salutes, but no Fourth would be complete without fireworks.

The thrill of fireworks are exciting and beautiful to watch, but can also bring pain. On average about 200 people go the emergency room every day with fireworks-related injuries in the month around the July 4th holiday, so firework safety is something we should all be aware of. Remember, fireworks can be dangerous, instigating serious burn and eye injuries. You can prevent fireworks-related injuries by following these safety tips when using fireworks: 

1. Never allow young children to play with fireworks and always have an adult supervise fireworks activities. (Sparklers burn at temperatures of about 2,000 degrees - hot enough to melt some metals.)
2. Avoid buying fireworks that are wrapped in brown paper because this is often a sign that the fireworks were made for professional displays and that they could be dangerous to consumers.



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3. Don’t place any part of your body directly over a firework when igniting the fuse. Back up to a safe distance directly after igniting fireworks.
4. Never try to re-light or pick up fireworks that have not ignited fully.
5. Never point or throw fireworks at another person.
6. Keep a bucket of water or a hose handy in case of fire or other mishap.
7. Light fireworks one at a time, then step back.
8. Never carry fireworks in a pocket or discharge them from a metal or glass containers.
9. After fireworks complete their burning, douse the spent firework with plenty of water from a bucket or hose before disposing of it to prevent a trash fire.
10. Make sure fireworks are legal in your area before buying or using them.  

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” 

― Thomas Jefferson, The Declaration of Independence