What does the 4th of July mean to you? For me, it means a meme or post might roll around the next day with someone confused about the age of America, or like this year an 'epic fail' video of when an expensive set of fireworks don't work. Mostly it wouldn't differ much from any other summers day. However, things swing a little differently when you get a day off from work in a new city. This was my chance to figure out what July 4th was all about.
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| Boston's Founders |
Just to bring you up to speed, July 4th is the day the United States of America celebrates the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the document stating that that the country would no longer be governed by the Britsh but by themselves. The festivities, here in Boston were not restricted to the Thursday alone but were celebrated for the length of a week under the name Boston's Harbourfest. Events included parades, historical reenactments and concluded on the day itself with a concert and a very high-end firework show for the whole state to enjoy. Unfortunately, a lot of the events pre-4th July were set midday, coinciding with inductions, work and most importantly my lunch. However, as soon as I left the lab at 5pm on July 3rd I was ready to get involved.
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| My Flash, the only Firework of the Night |
In Boston, the evening of July 3rd saw a group of us Imperial students attending a pre-concert, better known as a dress rehearsal for the Boston Pops 4th of July Spectacular. Despite being the day before the actual event the outdoor arena was full, so we settled in front of a big screen on a patch of grass by the Charles River streaming from the concert a few hundred metres away. The show started with a beautifully sung rendition of the U.S. national anthem, during which I debated what was best to do with my hands. People around saluted and lay hands on hearts while I settled with hands firmly in pockets as a sign of respect to my own country and the country I was in. I learned the holiday was also used as an opportunity to honour service persons past and present, with a segment of the concert dedicated to singing the anthems of each part of the US Army, a show similar to what we would do at home during Remembrance or the recent D-Day events. The event was incredibly patriotic, with all performances oozing with pride, and despite the patriotism being slightly more than I was used to it was a heart-warming thing to see. The show ended with the words, '' We will now have 30 minutes of uninterrupted fireworks...'' which turned out to be untrue, it then dawned on us all this was only a dress rehearsal and we would live through this all again tomorrow.
On the day of the 4th July, I spent the day as many locals might have, commuting for a while in order to see some family and eat a comforting amount of food as I have a few relatives within driving distance of MIT. A lot of the Imperial students spent the day celebrating by attending a memorial parade for the original US patriots, as well as finding a free barbeque for MIT students. The day ended with a bang, with a breathtaking show of fireworks.
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| Photo Credits: Jonathan Davis |
