This is an All Ears English podcast, episode 143.
How to not be alone on Independence Day in the U.S.
Welcome to the All Ears English podcast where you'll finally get real native English conversation and fluency for business and life.
We believe in connection, not perfection when it comes to learning English.
Now here are your hosts.
Lindsay McMahon, the English adventurer, and Michelle Kaplan, the New York radio girl, coming to you from Boston and New York City, USA.
USA.
If you are in the US on the 4th of July, what should you say if a native speaker invites you to an event or party?
Find out how to participate in this fun holiday today.
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Hey, Michelle, what are you doing for the 4th?
I don't know Lindsay, probably just you know considering meeting up with some friends, maybe having a barbecue.
What about you?
I know you love the 4th of July.
I love the 4th of July because it's a simple holiday.
I like things that are simple.
And not confusing.
Yeah, because Christmas is good.
You know, the holidays, holidays, those are good, but they're a little stressful at times, right?
And Thanksgiving is good, but it requires a lot of cooking and preparation.
Fourth of July.
You show up in your sandals and your shorts.
You have a barbecue maybe, go to the pool, go to the beach, do a road trip, just summertime stuff.
So great.
So great.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, definitely.
Okay, awesome.
Well, I mean, Lindsay, what is special about July 4th, 1776?
Well, it is the day that we officially signed that famous Declaration of Independence to become independent from Great Britain.
And I think that this streak of this independent streak is present in American culture still today.
You know, they're really almost to a fault sometimes.
Yeah, freedom.
Freedom, independence.
And it has both.
There are two sides to that, good sides and bad sides.
But on this particular day in the summer, we do celebrate it every year.
We celebrate that spirit, that action, breaking away, breaking free. finding new territories.
So Michelle, what is it exactly that Americans typically do on the 4th of July?
Because if our listeners are living in the US and they want to enjoy the day, but they don't quite know what to do, we're going to help them out today, right?
I'm going to say 4th of July is a lot about beaches and barbecues.
Yeah.
Yeah, because I feel like it's common to either go to the beach, right?
So even if you don't like live near a beach, like it's like you find a beach.
And or you have a barbecue with some friends or family.
You know, people barbecue all the time in the summer, but on the 4th of July I feel like it's a special thing.
Yeah, you might have like a pool party where there's one year we had a pool party.
Some friends lived in an apartment complex that had a pool.
And then there were also barbecue set up by the pool.
We've done that.
We've taken trips, like road trips, to national parks which, by the way, that's a busy time to go to a national park.
In the US, but that's fun.
What about fireworks?
Do you feel like your 4th of July is incomplete if you don't see fireworks?
Yeah, I mean, my husband loves fireworks, and I love them too.
But I don't like I kind of I don't love like being in giant crowds for the fireworks.
Like it just it's just like then to get in and to get out.
It's like a whole thing.
And like.
So I feel like I'm like kind of lazy about the fireworks, but i i do like to watch them.
Uh, sometimes i can actually see them from my apartment that's, i was gonna say in new york it's common to see them from rooftops, right?
Yeah, one year i went to my friend was dating this guy and he lived in a very nice apartment and i got to see it was like the greatest fireworks i've ever seen.
Yeah, So that was special.
But I mean, who doesn't like the fireworks?
Who doesn't like it?
Maybe dogs, maybe dogs.
Oh, yeah, my dog gets scared.
But I remember once in Boston, Boston actually they coordinate, I think the Boston Pops they coordinate with the fireworks.
They had a pretty impressive show in Boston for fireworks, actually.
It's kind of amazing.
Some cities really outdo themselves when it comes to the fireworks and coordinating music with the fireworks.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
It can be really cool.
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Or another thing that people sometimes do is like during the day, they might go to a parade.
Totally.
Totally.
That's very common in large cities or smaller towns.
They might have a community parade.
Sometimes at bars you find special menus, maybe a special cocktail, like a red, white and blue cocktail or something.
You might see people with their face painted.
Like a flag or with the colors.
Yeah.
It's common to wear like red, white and blue on that day.
Red, white and blue.
It's fun.
It's just fun.
And then, of course, the good old camping and hiking.
If you want to get away from all this mess, get up into nature, which I like to do.
It's common to go go hiking and camping on the fourth weekend.
Right.
Right, right, right.
Well, that's why it's the best if the fourth is around a weekend.
It's like I hate it when it's just like on a Wednesday.
I know that's so awkward when that happens.
How do you do it?
You have the weekend, you go to work.
You take the day off in the middle of the week, then you go back to work.
So I think in general, if that happened, a lot of people would take their summer vacation during that week.
Right.
Yeah, that's a good point.
Okay, I just looked.
Yeah, we're gonna be lucky with July 4th in the future.
Okay, good to know.
Good to know.
I'll get ready and I'll start making my plans.
Yeah, exactly.
So, yeah, I mean...
Lindsay, let's do a little roleplay.
Like if somebody invites you to go to a 4th of July celebration, what could we say?
So should we do a little roleplay for our listeners?
Let's do it because we don't want you guys to spend the day alone.
That's the key of today's episode.
You don't want to spend the 4th of July alone, but maybe you don't know how to invite someone.
So here's what you do if you get invited.
So Michelle, you want to start?
You want to invite me?
Let's do it.
I'm going to invite you.
All right, here we go.
I'm going to catch the parade tomorrow.
Do you want to come?
Really?
That would be cool.
What time does it start?
Well, let's meet at 11 a.m.
That sounds great.
Where should I meet you?
Let's meet near the MIT Bridge.
Okay.
So here we're in Boston in this case and totally realistic.
Yeah.
If someone invites you, just say yes.
Just go.
Even if you don't know what to wear, you don't know where you're going.
Just try it out.
Yeah.
Actually, I've been I was a couple of years ago.
I was in Boston for the fourth.
That was fun.
Oh, cool.
Cool.
What did you what'd you guys do?
Well, I had a baby, so we were, like, we walked along the Esplanade.
Oh, beautiful.
And you know that area, but it wasn't.
The fireworks hadn't started, but we were staying in a hotel where we could see the fireworks.
Oh.
Oh, I love the Esplanade.
I know some of our listeners, you know, they are at Harvard, MIT, Boston College, BU.
So you guys know, if you're ever in Boston, go to the Esplanade.
It is a gorgeous place to view the water and to go for a jog around.
Sunset is such a nice, nice spot.
Yeah.
Definitely, definitely.
So yeah, Lindsay, the 4th of July is completely fun.
And I know that's a special holiday for you.
You always talk about how that's your favorite one.
It is fun.
It's definitely fun when you're in the middle of summer.
What could be bad about that?
Yeah, it's like that time where you're like, I am dead in the middle of summer.
I'm not anywhere close to school starting again.
And I'm not close to school ending.
I'm right in the middle of it all.
It's hot out.
It's beautiful.
Life's good.
Life's good.
So guys, enjoy that celebration.
It's a really important holiday in American culture.
And it's just fun.
Go out and have a good time.
That's the takeaway today, Michelle.
I love it.
I love it.
Well, happy 4th of July.
Yeah.
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All right.
Awesome.
All right, Lindsay, this was fun.
Happy 4th.
All right.
Take care.
Bye.
All right.
Bye.
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