4th of July Traditions // Living that Double Life
Identifying between two countries is the trickiest thing I’ve ever had to deal with. There are two separate mother’s days, some Hallmark holidays are celebrated in one country over the other, different dates for daylight savings and the list goes on. One thing I used to always celebrate back home was 4th of July. No matter how patriotic it was, it was just an opportunity for my family friends to get together. The kids would be visiting as it is a holiday season, I would wake up a bit earlier than normal and help my parents prepare for a proper grill out. We grilled a proper Indian feast. Starting with sweetcorn dressed with lime and cayenne pepper, then the baked potato with butter and more cayenne pepper and then comes the tandoori fish and chicken. Most of the time my dad would be manning the grill as my mom runs the kitchen. We don’t host it, but we clearly run the show. Throughout the feast there are lots of ice cold watermelon slices and bottles or cans of coca-cola. It’s the American dream personified through a BBQ by a bunch of Indian immigrants raising very American children. I didn’t hate it.
One thing I always do {and not on purpose} is forget about 4th of July. It’s just another day in London… But this year, all thanks to Brenda, I actually took the time to mark the day in the calendar and decide to go all red-white-and-blue. As I shared my 4th of July traditions above, I thought I would introduce you to some fellow American expats as they share their 4th of July traditions or fondest memory…
If you’re an American, would love to know what your traditions are!
Meet Brenda & Her 4th of July Traditions
dress c/o BODEN belt c/o BODEN sunglasses c/o BODEN flats c/o BODEN
Hello! My name is Brenda and a blogger over on Sundays and Somedays where I document my life, style and travel as an American girl living in London. I previously worked in the world of floral startups, but now focus on my blog full time and I’m so happy to do so!
I’m originally from Seattle (and most recently San Francisco), but after an opportunity to move to London came up, my husband and I (and our two black cats) jumped at the chance and we’ve called England home for two and a half years now.
We absolutely love it here and hope to make London our home for quite a while longer (I mean, we did just buy a house!), but there are still some things we miss about the US. Holidays happen to be one of them, so we still like to celebrate while we’re across the pond. Here are the traditions I keep for Fourth of July, which is coming up soon!
Gathering with friends and family • With any holiday, the most special part to me is gathering and spending time with family. Since mine is now a very long plane ride away, I try to make a point to gather with my newfound London ‘family’ - good friends (like Supal) that I’ve made since moving over. And a picnic in the park is a perfect way to do it!
Dressing in red, white and blue • Luckily, this also works with the British flag! I love a good theme, so when Independence Day rolls around, I bring out the red, white and blue, like this sleeveless blue Boden broderie dress that happens to be perfect for the warm July weather. My tip is to do two colors max - or you might risk looking too much like a flag! Supal and I coordinated - she went with red while I stuck with blue!
Eating typical summer food • For me, this means watermelon, homemade ice cream and anything barbecued (I’m partial to grilled vegetables). And no Fourth of July would be complete without corn on the cob - growing up, we’d buy it from roadside farm stands and us kids would have the chore of husking it on the porch.
You can read Brenda’s post about 4th of July on her blog here and shop her outfit directly from the website!
Ghenet of Ghenet Actually & Her 4th of July Traditions
Fourth of July memories: it was always the peak of summer holidays. We’d pack into the car and drive out to Sag Harbor for the weekend. Someone always had a party. Lots of barbecue! Then we’d run down to the beach to watch the fire works! Sometimes we’d light our own. There was usually ice cream involved and of course, our annual viewing of Independence Day! I still watch that film every 4th of July!
Jen of ParenthesesWorld & Her 4th of July Traditions
A Fourth of July memory for me would be from 2013, I celebrated the holiday with a group of college friends in Cabo, Baja California, Mexico. It was so fun seeing the holiday so prominent in a different country. Everyone we came across were celebrating it throughout the day and into the night. You’d find it surprising, but considering how big Americans take Cinco de Mayo over in the States, it wasn’t surprising at all!
Katie of QKatie & Her 4th of July Traditions
Growing up, the 4th of July was always about the happy sweaty, humid days of summer in Ohio. Fireworks and family gatherings with potluck dishes like cold macaroni salad (so much mayonnaise!) and hot dogs. As an adult, the holiday has totally transformed for me because my husband’s birthday also happens to be July 4th. As an American, he loves that everyone is already in a joyous mood and gathering together…so he just gets to amble in a have a great birthday without any planning necessary!
Now that I’ve shared the expat experience of 4th of July. I think I need to ask you fellow Americans, do you have any 4th of July traditions? It’s hard to live so far away from home, but it’s always nice to feel so close with 4th of July traditions.
