Shocking 4th of July Stats, The Weirdest Fourth of July Traditions, and More

Thursday, July 2nd, 2026

Good morning! Welcome to The Tradesman, a 5-minute newsletter tailored just for America’s tradesmen.

It’s the last edition before the 4th of July, meaning we are paying homage to the entire holiday today!

Fun fact: On this day 250 years ago, the Constitution was signed by the Continental Congress.

We're only two days away from the biggest birthday party of the year, also known as America's 250th anniversary.

This Independence Day is predicted to be the biggest our country has seen in decades, which says a lot considering how big our country usually goes.

On average, Americans spend $9.4 billion on food, $2.95 billion on fireworks, and over $4 billion on alcohol, most of it beer.

For crazier Fourth of July facts, like how many millions of hot dogs are consumed, click here.

In our last edition, we talked about the group of Poles who gather every Fourth of July to dress up as Americans, but did you know Poland isn't the only country that celebrates our independence with us?

Around the globe, thousands of restaurants and stores use the holiday as an excuse to “be American”. According to foreigners, an American celebration isn't complete without red Solo cups, hot dogs, and Doritos.

Some countries even take it one step further. Denmark, for example, holds the largest Fourth of July celebration in the world outside of the U.S., lighting off its own firework show. Norway, meanwhile, has a whole four-day festival full of music, parades, American car shows, and more.

See how other countries celebrate America’s independence here.

When we think of the Fourth of July, we often think of the cookouts, parades, and, of course, the fireworks. After all, it's all part of tradition. But what about some of our other traditions?

No, we're not talking about the rodeos or Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest; we mean the really weird ones.

Like, for example, Hannibal, Missouri's fence-painting contest, where contestants dress up like book character Tom Sawyer and paint a section of fence as fast as they can.

Or what about the Great Bristol Outhouse Race in Bristol, Vermont, where teams of three race their custom-built outhouses on wheels. 

All across the country, different hometowns have their own silly traditions. Read more about them here.

Amid all the festivities, it can be so easy to forget the very first day of independence and the weight it carried.

Though the Declaration of Independence wasn't adopted until July 4, the Continental Congress actually voted for independence two days earlier, on July 2 — 250 years ago today.

When the delegates broke away from Britain, they weren't just being brave; they were committing treason against one of the world's most powerful countries. If the U.S. had lost the Revolutionary War, every one of them would almost certainly have been found and executed.

Thankfully, they won. Though the war didn't end until 1781, the country still celebrated its very first anniversary of independence on July 4, 1777, with the firing of cannons, ringing of bells, and a fireworks show.

Read the full history of Independence Day here.

Will you buy fireworks this year?