Over 200 years ago, these
words were read at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, USA: "We
hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created
equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain
unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the
pursuit of happiness." These brave words are part of the Declaration
of Independence, affirming the independence of the American
colonists from England.
Today, in the United
States, we pay tribute to these ideals on the 4th of July. We
celebrate this national holiday with parades, speeches, bonfires,
picnics, concerts, and the display of the American Flag, just as the
early American colonists did over 200 years ago! In fact, as far as
we know, the only custom we don't observe today is the lighting of
candles in house windows, which some colonists did to show support
of the new government.