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July 4th. The Fourth of July. Both date references connote a major holiday on the American calendar. But I prefer to call it Independence Day. My cartoon is a bow and a tip of the hat in the direction of the late Buffalo News Columnist, Bob Curran, who regularly called attention to what I wrote in the cartoon dialogue.
How do these greetings sound?
Happy First of January! WooHooo!!! Merry Twenty-Fifth of December! Ho-Ho-Ho!!! Happy Fourteenth of February! Kiss my … oh, never mind.
You get mine and Bob Curran’s point.
Both ways are big-time movie titles
It is interesting to note that two major movies, Born On The Fourth of July (1989) and Independence Day (1996) could not have been named the “other” way. Born on Independence Day doesn’t cut it, and neither would naming the overthrow of alien invaders Fourth of July. They are two very different genres that use the holiday name in a way that best fits the movie.
Don’t change the lyrics
Chicago’s hit song, Saturday in the Park, opens with this famous verse:
Saturday in the park
I think, it was the fourth of July
Saturday in the park
I think, it was the fourth of July
And references to the Fourth of July are sprinkled throughout the song. It just works and makes us envision a glorious summer day. Can you dig it? Yes, I can.
Don’t get me wrong. I am not a pedantic fussbudget. The Fourth of July is a cultural tag that supercedes Independence Day by a factor of three zillion. But when it comes to meaning, I think Independence Day wins by a long shot. Make that a musket shot.
Enjoy your summer from now until the First of September. I think that might be a holiday, but the name escapes me.
