Wednesday, July 4, 2007

Fourth of July

Every year, on morning of the Fourth of July, Liam and I emerge from our front door wearing newspaper tricorne hats with revolutionary slogans on them. Liam carries the flag and I precede him playing "Yankee Doodle Dandy" on my penny whistle. We march down the street in fine military fashion and return to install the flag in its place of honor. With a salute and such exclamations as "Down the British!" (Sorry, Mad Priest) "Up the Rebels", the ceremony ends. Just before sunset the procession (in reverse) is led to the strains of "Taps" and the flag is retired for the evening.

Inspired by the film "The Great Escape," it is one of our favorite rituals. Luckily we live in a neighborhood of eccentrics.

2 comments:

Paul (A.) said...

This year at my church (which is within a block of the third public reading of the Declaration of Independence on July 9, 1776) we did a read-aloud.

I commend the practice. The text is marvelous (they don't write them like that anymore) and declamatory reading is becoming a lost art. And what better way to celebrate!

Nicholodeon said...

Is that like letting someone yank your doodle dandy?

God save The Queen!