The Fourth of July, aka Independence Day, was first celebrated back in 1776 when the U.S. was comprised of 13 colonies, the American Revolutionary War was just underway, and breaking free from British rule went from a radical to a widely accepted idea among colonists. In September 1783, Britain formally recognized American independence, ending the Revolutionary War and allowing our Founding Fathers to begin building the democratic society we have today. That is the well-known history of the holiday. Here are some lesser- known facts. WE COULD’VE BEEN SAYING “HAPPY SECOND OF JULY!” The vote in favor of independence actually occurred on July 2, 1776. July 4 marked the day when the document was adopted by representatives from the 13 colonies. And if Founding Father John Adams had his way, we’d be celebrating the Second of July, not the Fourth, in commemoration of the infamous vote. It doesn’t quite have the same ring, does it? JULY 4 IS THE BIGGEST BEER AND HOT DOGS HOLIDAY OF THEMALL. According to America’s Beer Distributors, Americans shell out more money for beer on July 4 than on any other national holiday. Those FUN FOURTH FA LITTLE-KNOWN INDEPENDENC It’s hard to imagine a Fourth of July celebration without brilliant, booming fireworks lighting up the sky. While you may have fond childhood memories of lighting sparklers and setting off bottle rockets, you should only share those traditions with older children and under adult supervision. If you want to let the kids go wild, consider these fireworks alternatives that are perfect for hours of fun on the Fourth. SILLY STRING Okay, parents, we hear you. Silly String might be fun, but it’s a mess! That’s why it’s perfect to reserve for this one holiday a year! And since you won’t be cleaning up debris from fireworks, you’ll at least keep the mess to a minimum. GLOW STICKS For a more colorful, less messy option, get some glow sticks or glow- stick necklaces and bracelets and let the kids light up the sky with their dance moves. Family Fun on the F
High on the slopes of Bristen, a mountain in the Glarus Alps in central Switzerland, a pair of skiers discovered something unexpected. At 4:30 a.m., the skiers climbed toward the summit of Bristen when they realized they weren’t alone. They were being followed by a cat — not a lynx or a wildcat, but a little mewling house cat. How does a house cat end up on the slopes of a snow-covered, 10,000-foot mountain? This was an answer the skiers wouldn’t get. They weren’t even sure what to do with a cat in general. It’s likely that it simply wandered away from one of the nearby towns or villages near the base of the mountain, but even for a human, that’s a major undertaking. Lost, the cat followed the only sign of civilization it could find: the skiers, Cyril and Erik Rohrer. “She started to shiver, and her paws began to bleed from the hard snow,” Cyril noted. “We picked her up and carried her when she was too exhausted to walk uphill anymore. We were definitely confused. I felt really sorry for the cat. She was really exhausted on the ridge underneath the summit.” The cat stayed with them for some time before they met up with another group of hikers who were headed down the mountain. The cat joined them for what would hopefully be a journey back home. And it was! Remarkably, the cat’s owners were found. They revealed that their cat had vanished four days earlier and apparently followed yet another group of hikers up Bristen. “Animals do weird things. And they are way tougher than humans. They’ll never give up. Even though they are hurting really, really bad,” Cyril said of his feline hiking companion. Hopefully, that will be the little feline’s last trip up for some time! The Meow at 10,000 Feet
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