5 Things You Might Not Know About the 4th of July

Wednesday is a day of barbecues, parades, fireworks and no work—it's the Fourth of July, and that means the time to celebrate the freeing of the United States of America from British rule hundreds of years ago. To celebrate this auspicious day, we present a list of five facts to know about the Fourth of July.

Information from History.com.

• Declaration of Independence—July 4th is the official day that the Declaration of Independence was signed by the members of the Continental Congress, after they voted on July 2 in favor of independence from the British.
• Festivities—Typically, Americans celebrate with barbecues, fireworks, parades, concerts and gatherings with family.
• Mock Funerals—In the summer of 1776, just after independence was declared, many colonists celebrated America's independence by holding mock funerals for King George III of England, celebrating the end of the monarchy's reign.
• Philadelphia—Philadelphia held the first official Independence Day ceremony July 4, 1777. George Washington gave his soldiers double rations during a celebration in 1778.
• Federal Holiday—The Fourth of July was declared by Congress to be a federal holiday in 1870, and in 1941, that provision was extended to allow federal employees to have paid holiday on that day.