Americans take a break from uncertainty on Independence Day

Millions of Americans took a break for July 4 on Thursday and flocked to parades, fireworks displays and barbecues, taking a break from disturbing news at home and abroad.

The holiday, which marks the July 4 signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, is a day that Americans traditionally celebrate with proud displays of old-fashioned patriotism.

This year, faced with the divisiveness of the election battle between President Joe Biden and his rival Donald Trump, it was an opportunity for Americans to come together for a day and put their differences aside.

“It seems to me like the country is much more divided than it’s ever been,” said Dwight Kinsey, 69, a New York City resident who was enjoying the sun on Coney Island Beach on Wednesday. “It’s a beautiful day, the beach is clean and nice and, you know, life goes on.”

With red, white and blue flags and bunting decorating homes and stores from New England to Hawaii, Independence Day focused, as usual, largely on family, food and summer fun.

In New York, the famous annual hot dog eating contest organised by Nathan’s sets the tone for a day of excess. In the absence of multiple champion Joey Chestnut, 39-year-old Patrick Bertoletti triumphed in the men’s category with 58 hot dogs while Miki Sudo successfully defended her title in the women’s category with a record 51.

Celebrations for the national holiday will extend into the night on the Hudson River, where Macy’s fireworks will light up the sky against the backdrop of the Manhattan skyline for the first time in a decade: in recent years, the show has been held on the East River.

Launched from barges moored on the river, some 60,000 shells will rise 300 metres before exploding in dozens of colours and special effects before tens of thousands of spectators lining both sides of the Hudson River, which separates Manhattan from New Jersey.

Across the country, other cities are hosting fireworks displays, road races, baseball games and other events that will give people a chance to forget their troubles and relax.

In Southern California, Huntington Beach will host what it has billed as “the largest Independence Day celebration west of the Mississippi.” The city, which began hosting Fourth of July events in 1904, now draws more than 500,000 people, according to organizers.

The festival kicks off in the morning with a 5K run, followed by a parade and a nighttime fireworks show over the Pacific Ocean. The fun continues on Friday with a party and rodeo.

In Alaska, where the sun barely sets in summer, the celebrations began early with a midnight fireworks display in the port city of Seward. It was the first event of a three-day Fourth of July Festival that also includes a grueling 5K run at Mount Marathon and a boat parade.

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