獨立紀念日 (Independence Day) ：美國慶祝國家的生日：1906年7月4日

今天是7月4日獨立紀念日！美國各地的人民都會相互祝賀。西元1776年7月4日，第二屆的大陸議會無異議通過獨立宣言 (Declaration of Independence) 。雖然憲法才是賦予美國合法政府結構的來源，但是這份主張「人人平等」的獨立宣言卻同樣受到美國人民的愛戴。在獨立宣言通過的第一週年時，許多費城百姓自動自發舉辦了慶祝7月4日的活動。但是一直到了1812年戰爭之後，慶祝獨立紀念日的活動才成為全國普遍性的活動。


It's Independence Day! Today, all across the United States, people are wishing each other a happy Fourth of July. On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress unanimously adopted the Declaration of Independence. Though it is the Constitution that provides the legal and governmental framework for the United States, the Declaration, with its eloquent assertion "all Men are created equal," is equally beloved by the American people. On the Declaration's first anniversary, many citizens of Philadelphia had a spontaneous July 4th celebration. But it wasn't until after the War of 1812 that observing Independence Day became commonplace.

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