Besides attending the perfunctory fireworks, parades, carnivals and fairs, use this holiday as an opportunity to bring together family and friends, perhaps as an annual family tradition or reunion. Include sports, games or activities, or simply enjoy the day as a family barbecue when everyone brings their unique specialty dishes.
4th of July Family Festivities
BBQs in backyards with pools have an endless capacity for family fun, including water volleyball, water (Marco) polo, team tag and more. Locations without pools can enjoy other easily-organized popular outdoor group games on the 4th of July as croquet, ping pong, horseshoes, badminton, volleyball, water balloon volley, 3-legged races, sack races or egg ‘n spoon relays.
Ask family members to send in family trivia and baby pictures. Form teams whereby each team guesses the identity of the baby pictures and trivia questions. Have each family member write down 6 -10 their favorite foods, hobbies and/or sports teams (or come up with other trivia) on a sheet of paper. The papers go into a bowl and each family member picks one. Whoever guesses the correct family member using the least amount of clues, wins.
Viewing firework shows in your community from parks, schools or other public venue can also be a fun family activity for all ages. For events in various communities across the United States proceed to this link:
Food for Family Reunion BBQs. Depending on what part of the United States you live, there are many versions of uniquely special foods in your environs. For example, the South has a lot of pork for their BBQs with many versions of barbeque sauce. There are many delicious tomato or vinegar-based sauces, dry-based seasoning or even a mustard-based variety. Grills, smokers, ovens and braising methods are used for making memorable meals. Here’s a tasty recipe for southern style tomato based barbecue sauce with found: http://bbq.about.com/od/barbecuesaucerecipes/r/bln0511a.htm
Eastern North Carolina enjoys pork with a spicy BBQ sauce recipe that captures that Carolina Tang: http://www.meatwave.com/blog/barbecue-sauce-recipe-north-carolina-vinegar-sauce
California’s Central Valley’s town of Santa Maria has followed recipes from the old Mexican ranchos. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbecue_in_the_United_States. This link includes Hawaii’s history of following the customs of the indigenous people of Polynesia – hence, the famous luau.
The possibilities are as varied as the regions we live in as outdoor meals consist of pallets with delectable recipes for barbeque chicken, kabobs, steaks, hamburgers, hot dogs or pork ribs. With plenty of the usual side dishes as potato salad, corn on the cob, cole slaw, or other tasty variations,
Preserve your Memories
Request donations from each family group who wants a photo album of this occasion. Ask one family member to be in charge of collecting everyone’s best photos and putting together an on-line photo book. Ship a copy to each family group who purchased one. With outrageously delicious food with lots of family fun, these family memories will be treasured for a lifetime.
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