To a visitor from another planet, the 4th of July in Washington D.C. would be hard to explain.

They would obviously be aware of current technology, from the T.V. to video games, to virtual reality synthesizers, and almost anything that is designed to entertain.

They would probably wonder why thousands of people begin early in the morning, parking their cars along the road near the city, setting up tents and chairs, bringing in coolers and hibachis.

They would search their data bases, looking for an explanation.

What are they waiting for? What are they all doing?

And instead of the crowds getting smaller toward the end of day . . .they keep growing, until not one square inch of ground is bare when night falls.

Then suddenly they would witness thousands of people watching primitive fireworks, developed over 5,000 years ago, light up the evening sky.

They would never understand that it’s not just the fireworks that bring people out, but what they represent . . . the freedom to watch and enjoy and remember for one moment that we all share something in common . . . the love of our country.

This is Nina May at ninamay.com hoping you never forget why we watch them.