Happy Birthday to US: A Fourth of July Party
Invitations. White paper with red and blue lettering is the cheap and easy route. Alter a famous quote at the top of your invite (eg: “Give me A Party or Give me Death”). For the more creative (and monetarily enriched), purchase an old parchment style paper. Handwrite the invitations, or use a calligraphy font. Roll it up, rubber stamp it, and hand deliver it (or stick it in a tube and mail it). Be sure to sign them John Hancock.
Food. You already know how to host a bar-b-que, right? Hot dogs, burgers, chicken on skewers for the exceptionally skilled. Yeah. All that, and a birthday cake. It will serve as a reminder to everyone exactly what we are celebrating, the birth of a nation. Didn’t order one ahead of time to look just like a waving flag or with an icing sculpture of Washington crossing the Delaware? Just buy the large number candles and put “1776” or “2006” on the cake. Let whoever has the closest birthday to the Fourth of July blow out the candles.
Drinks. Sam Adams is an obvious choice. Look him up so you can impress everyone with your knowledge of the Sons of Liberty. For mixed drinks, create your own drink menu. Pick whatever your favorite drinks are that you like to make and give them new names. For instance, call it a “Boston Tea Party” instead of Long Island Ice Tea. For the kids, the old Shirley Temple switcheroo: grenadine plus Sprite plus whipped cream and blue sprinkles. Call it the “Star Spangled Banner.” Make everyone sing it whenever you make one. Write the lyrics on a poster board or chalkboard, so no one can claim they don’t know it. Tell them it’s high time they learned.
Swimming. This is a nice option if you live right by a beach, lake, or pool. If you want to have your party at a public place, prepare to get there at 4am and assign someone to stand guard at your spot/table/grill to keep it. If you’re partying at home and don’t have a pool or Jacuzzi, set up a cooler full of water balloons in your yard and hook up a sprinkler toy.
Games. What’s a birthday party without games? Test everyone’s knowledge of American history. See who can pass the citizenship test: http://www.factmonster.com/quizzes/citizenship1/1.html or make your own. Print up pictures of early Americans or monuments and a list of names to match them, or a make your own fill in the blanks list of popular quotes (eg: “We the ____ of the United States in order to form a _____” or “No Taxation without _____”). Give the winner their own George Washington portrait. It will only cost a dollar.
Entertainment. Need something on the TV? School House Rock’s America Rock is a family friendly option that most adults will enjoy because they can sing along with “I’m Just a Bill.” Would you prefer just music? Most radio stations will have you up to your ears in patriotic music, or you could make your own CD mixes. Lee Greenwood’s “Proud to Be An American” is always big. As is the Lynyrd Skynyrd anthem, “Sweet Home Alabama.”
Fireworks. Watch them. If you’re not near any, turn on the radio or TV to listen and watch along. Provide your guests with whatever legal versions of fireworks you can come up with – sparklers, snakes, confetti poppers, snap pops. Don’t know where to buy them? Do you have a friend or neighbor with the teenage son? Yeah, he can help you.
The Farewell. Gracefully exit everyone out of your house by challenging everyone to a patriotic tune sing-off, or another round of history trivia. True or False: The Battle of Bunker Hill actually took place on the nearby Breed’s Hill. Anyone? Anyone?
