Sounds of the fourth

July 4, 11:23 AMHuntsville Pop Culture ExaminerAnissa Graham

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Philadelphi Museum of Art in 2008 (AP Photo/Joseph Kaczmarek, file)

If you want to learn something about a country, look at how it celebrates itself.  Nations celebrate themselves for lots of reasons.  Mexico (May 5) and America (July 4) have celebrations to honor their independence from colonial power.  England (November 5) celebrates a failed coup in 1605 with fireworks and bonfires.   The traditions that surround these celebrations tell the people of these nations and the world where the country has been and where it is going.

Fireworks -- The boom and the sparkle of fireworks can be heard and seen after baseball games and concerts on a regular basis, but there's something about fireworks on the 4th of July that's very special.  The symbolic connection between fireworks and the American Revolution is pretty clear; the boom of the launch is similar to the boom of the cannon.  The red, white, and blue sparkles in the sky and the various shapes the explosions take mimic the flag.  Fireworks are so connected to our celebration of independence that in 1977 shortly after the nation celebrated its bicentennial the children's TV program, Schoolhouse Rock, aired a song celebrating the Declaration of Independence; the song's title is "Fireworks."  Fireworks also mark the American tradition of the melting pot.  Many fireworks used in the United States typically come from China, but also from Italy and Spain.  Closer to home, fireworks displays in the Huntsville area abound; Bridge Street Town Centre, Dublin Park in Madison, Joe Davis Stadium are among the sites to present fireworks displays this evening.

Baseball --  Catching a baseball game on the 4th of July allows fans to combine multiple traditions into one evening of fun.  Ballparks around the country will sell lots of hot dogs and beer to fans as they watch the great American pastime.  Baseball is yet another echo of America's break with England way back in the 18th century; while tracing the origins of baseball is a difficult process, the consensus among devotees of baseball is that it is a uniquely American sport with close ties to both cricket and rounders, traditional sports from the British Isles.  Baseball also offers fans another way to connect to American tradition with the 7th-inning stretch and the singing of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame."  Fireworks are often launched at the end of most home games.  Huntsville Stars fans can participate in all the fun of the 4th tonight when the team plays the West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx.

Boston Pops perform on July 3, 2009 (AP Photo/Lisa Poole)

Music -- Patriotic music is at the heart of all celebrations of nationhood.  Attending a concert on the 4th in the South means a combination of traditional patriotic music and modern country music.  Around the valley, music lovers can find concerts at Point Mallard Park in Decatur, McFarland Park in Florence, and Doublehead Resort in Town Creek.  If the heat and the bugs are too much, CBS will show the 36th annual "Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular" at 9 pm.  Other televised concerts include on PBS "A Capitol Fourth" and the "Macy's 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular" on NBC.  Many of these performances will end with the "1812 Overture" by Pytor IlyichTchaikovsky; the overture was written to honor the defense of Moscow against Napoleonic invaders.  The song is especially appropriate to set a fireworks display to as it utilizes cannon fire as part of the percussion.  Ironically, the year 1812 also marked one final conflict between British and American forces, the one that ensured our independence. 

However you choose to celebrate the 4th, your celebration is part of a long popular tradition dating back to 1776.