Millions of Americans took a welcome Fourth of July break yesterday, flocking to parades, fireworks shows and barbecues for a brief respite from the daily drumbeat of unsettling news at home and abroad. The holiday, which marks the July 4 signing of the Declaration of Independence from Britain in 1776, is a day when Americans traditionally celebrate with proud displays of old-fashioned patriotism. This year, with the country's drift toward hyper-partisanship and an election battle underway between President Joe Biden and challenger Donald Trump, it was a chance for Americans to come together for a day and forget about their differences.
"It seems to me that the country is much more divided than it ever has been," said Dwight Kinsey, 69, a New York City resident enjoying the sun on the Coney Island beach on Wednesday. "Then again, you come out here, it's a beautiful day, the beach is clean and nice and, you know, life goes on." With red, white and blue flags and bunting decorating homes and shops from New England to Hawaii, Independence Day was, as usual, was mostly about family, food and summer fun.
In New York, the annual Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest usually sets the tone for a day of over-indulgence. After dark, it was to end with a bang along the Hudson River, where the Macy's fireworks display will light up the sky against the backdrop of Manhattan's skyline. Even though 16-time champ Joey Chestnut was a *persona non grata at Nathan's contest this year, the man .