Our 245th July 4th as an independent United States, and our 151st as a federal holiday, has come and gone. Independence Day is among our first federal holidays as it and the three others, New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas, were all declared in 1870.

Now there are eleven federal holidays, with the most recent, Juneteenth, declared in June 2021. But oldies can still be goodies — Independence Day is the federal holiday Americans would most like to keep, with the other 1870 holidays, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day coming 2nd, 3rd and 4th.

It wouldn’t be the 4th without fireworks, which 70% of Americans say they like or really like. However only 61% planned to celebrate the 4th in 2021, perhaps a lingering COVID hesitancy, or because 66% of dog owners say Fido dislikes airborne pyrotechnics. Fido probably remembers what most of us never knew, that the history of fireworks on the 4th is rooted in a celebration among our former colonizers.

Speaking of fireworks, the holiday seems to lack the metaphorical kind since the 4th was deemed the most acceptable holiday to break up with someone, and only 2% saying they had met a long term partner on the holiday.

Independence Day is of course a holiday of patriotism, and according to global polls the US comes top of the charts when it comes to love of country. While 53% say America is in decline and 81% say it has room for improvement, 65% say it’s the greatest country in the world (though the New York Post has a point as only 44% of Democrats agree), and 85% say they are glad to live here.