How to Have a Safe Independence Day

Traditionally, the Fourth of July is a day when Americans celebrate by taking part in picnics, parades and crowded fireworks displays. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year, everyone will need to take certain precautions to help prevent the potential spread of this mysterious illness. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the following are some precautions everyone can take to stop the spread of COVID-19, especially during the holiday weekend:

• Wear a cloth face mask in public settings; the recommendations make no distinction between being inside or outside.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
• If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them together until they feel dry.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick, even those you live with. If possible, maintain six feet between the person who is ill and other household members.
• Put distance between yourself and other people who you don’t live with. Stay at least six feet (about two arms’ length) from other people.

Safe Picnicking Tips

Courtesy of Simply Beautiful, here are some tips to make any picnic safer:

• Properly sanitize any surfaces where you plan to store, prepare, cook and serve food
• Make sure any food you plan to cook outdoors is prepared to the appropriate internal temperatures 
• Serve condiments in sealed packets
• Serve all beverages in individual bottles or cans
• Serve individually wrapped desserts
• Have tissues, hand sanitizer and anti-bacterial wipes on-hand

Fireworks Alternative Tips

Are the large fireworks displays near you canceled, and you don't want to buy and set off your own? We've found some safe and fun alternatives to fireworks that are guaranteed to light up the sky on Independence Day:

• Take a bubble solution, add a tiny bit of glow-in-the-dark paint and you’ve created a mixture that makes glowing bubbles
• Pass out glow sticks instead of sparklers
• Fill up balloons with glitter or confetti and then pop them after dark

What’s another safe way to celebrate the 4th?

Anyone who wants to avoid crowds over the holiday weekend can still celebrate by renting/streaming a patriotic movie. These are a few of the films that fall Entertainment Weekly’s “25 Most Patriotic Movies of All Time” list:

"Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" (1939)

"Patton" (1970)

"The Right Stuff" (1983)

"The American President" (1995)

"G.I. Jane" (1997)

"Glory" (1989)

"Captain America: The First Avenger" (2011)

"Lincoln" (2012)

"Hidden Figures" (2016)

To read EW’s list in its entirety, here.