It's pet peeve time, ladies and gents. I'm not really sure when I developed this quirk, but for at least a couple years now it has bugged me when Independence Day is referred to by its cruder and less descriptive name, The Fourth. I realize that Independence Day falls on the 4th of July each year, and that there is a worldwide precedent for referring to the holiday celebrating certain events by the date on which they happened (e.g. Cinco de Mayo). But I prefer Independence Day.
I prefer it for the same reason I prefer Christmas over "The Holidays." When you refuse to call a holiday by its real name, you help that holiday to lose some of its oomph. When was the last time you saw baby Jesus -- the Christ in Christmas -- used as a marketing gimic to sell Barbies? You haven't see it, of course. Instead, you see Santa and snowmen and all that. And what words does Toys R Us use in its advertising? Happy Holidays. Never Merry Christmas. Parents would feel too damn guilty about exploiting their Savior's birthday if they had to see Christ (the word or the image) while fulfilling their childrens' materialistic demands.
The same can be said for Independence Day. It's easier to wake up on the morning of July 4 and scream "Let's blow some shit up!" when you treat the holiday as The Fourth of July rather than Independence Day. What do Black Cats and sparklers and roman candles have to do with Independence Day? Not a thing. But they define The Fourth of July. Having managed fireworks tents for three years I can say with some authority that nobody (+/- 1%) who buys more than $10.00 of fireworks has any intention to celebrate Independence Day on July 4th. Independence is one of the last things on their mind while they ignite their Chinese-made fireworks.
Independence Day should be about evaluating our country's progress (or lack thereof) toward
the goal of bringing freedom to the world and about our application of it (or not) here at home. That's not to say that fireworks and family and grilling burgers can't also be a part of it. Fireworks are a great way for us to give ourselves a pat on the back and say "USA, you rock!" It may not always be true, but hey, a once-per-year gloat-fest is good for a country's collective identity. And family? Every holiday should be celebrated with family.
I'm not really sure what my point is. It's Friday afternoon and I'm tired and hungry. You didn't really expect anything profound out of me, did you? I suppose the one thing I want you to get out of this is simply an appreciation for Independence Day over the generic Fourth of July. Think about why you use the term you use, and decide for yourself if it's appropriate. For me, The Fourth just doesn't work. If you use The Fourth, that's fine. But don't just use it because some marketing agent told you to.
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