The Strangest 4th of July Traditions Across the Country

This Thursday, Americans will dress in red, white and blue in honor of Fourth of July celebrations across the country.

July 4, also known as Independence Day, commemorates the 248th anniversary of the founding of the United States. The original celebration occurred when the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, which established the United States as a sovereign nation independent of its original status as a colony of Great Britain.

In addition to being a federal holiday (when banks, post offices, government offices, and the stock market are closed), many Americans tend to celebrate the holiday with some classic activities.

In addition to wearing patriotic attire, some Americans celebrate with backyard barbecues, hamburgers and hot dogs, trips to the beach and fireworks displays. However, other U.S. cities have traditions that are not so conventional.

NY

Every year at Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York, the famous hot dog brand Nathan's hosts a contest in which men and women try to eat as many hot dogs as they can in 10 minutes.

This year's competition has already gained national attention, as reigning champion Joey Chestnut was banned from the 2024 contest due to a sponsorship with a competing plant-based hot dog brand.

California

The city of San Diego, California, holds an annual marshmallow fight on the Fourth of July. The tradition began when some families in Ocean Beach began randomly throwing classic s'mores ingredients at each other.

The event grew to include large crowds. However, due to the lack of cleanup of the sugary mess in recent years, Ocean Beach has asked residents to eat marshmallows instead of throwing them away.

Meanwhile, in Northern California, the San Francisco communities of Bolinas and Stinson Beach are playing host to a century-old tug-of-war across the water separating the two communities.

Missouri

Hannibal, Missouri, the hometown of author Mark Twain, who wrote Tom Sawyer's adventures – combines the Fourth of July with what is known as Tom Sawyer Days. Every year around the holiday, the town recreates a famous scene from the novel, in which Tom convinces people to paint a fence for him.

For the citywide contest, people dress up as characters from the book and compete in a race to paint an assigned section of their fence the fastest.

Maine

For the Fourth of July, Bar Harbor in Maine takes advantage of its well-known reputation for seafood, specifically lobster.

To celebrate, the city hosts lobster races featuring live lobsters. Participants can place bets on which lobster they think will win, while standing on the sidelines to cheer on the sea creatures.

Idaho

The town of Hailey, Idaho, used to put an interesting twist on its annual Fourth of July parade called Road Apple Roulette. To play this game, residents would buy one of the 10,000 squares that fell along the parade route.

During the parade, horses would drop “road apples” along the route. If these “road apples” landed on the square you had purchased, your name would appear on a drum and you could win great prizes, with the money going to local charities in the area.