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    July 03, 2011

Americans Celebrate 235th Independence Day

   VOA News
   Fourth of July Celebration in New York.
   Photo: AP
   Fourth of July Celebration in New York (File Photo)

   Monday is U.S. Independence Day, the holiday informally called the
   Fourth of July.
   Americans celebrate the day the country's Founding Fathers declared
   independence from Britain in 1776 with picnics, parades and concerts.
   Traditional fireworks will light up the nighttime skies over small
   towns and major cities, including Washington, New York and
   Philadelphia, where the Declaration of Independence was agreed upon by
   the various colonies.
   One hundred new citizens will be sworn-in at Mount Vernon, in the state
   of Virginia outside Washington DC, at the home of the first U.S.
   president, George Washington. The current president, Barack Obama, will
   host members of the military and their families for a White House
   barbecue and concert.

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