Happy birthday!

PASADENA, Calif. – Is the sky blue?

Not all the time. On the Fourth of July, the sky turned from endless blue to a painter’s palette of red, yellow, green, violet, silver and gold as different kinds of fireworks – "Popcorn," "Happy Face" and "Butterfly" took center stage at the Americafest 2004, an event that celebrated America’s Independence Day.

Independence Day is the national holiday of the United States of America that commemorates the signing of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Around the time of the signing, the US consisted of 13 colonies under the rule of King George III of England. These colonies were very unhappy concerning the taxes that had to be paid to England. There was growing unrest over what was commonly referred to as "Taxation without Representation" as members of these colonies did not have any representation in the English Parliament and therefore had no say in what went on.

In 1774, the 13 colonies sent delegates to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to form the First Continental Congress. Clearly, the delegates were unhappy with England, although they were not yet ready to declare war. It wasn’t until April 1775 that the battle of Concord would mark the unofficial beginning of the war for independence.

In May, 1775, the colonies again sent delegates to the Second Continental Congress to work out its differences with England, still without formally declaring war.

By 1776, a committee was formed to compose a formal declaration of independence. This team included John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Philip Livingston, Roger Sherman, and headed by Thomas Jefferson who was chosen to write the first draft that was presented to the Congress on June 28.

"Whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends (life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness), it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it, and to institute new government," wrote Jefferson.

Following various changes, the vote was taken in the afternoon of July 4th. Of the 13 colonies, nine voted in favor of the declaration; two – Pennsylvania and South Carolina – voted against it; Delaware was undecided; and New York abstained.

Although the signing of the Declaration of Independence wasn’t completed until August, July 4th was singled out as the official anniversary of United States’ independence as a nation. The first Independence Day celebration took place a year after – July 4, 1777. By the early 1800s, the tradition of parades, picnics and fireworks were practiced to celebrate America’s birthday.

"Thus may the 4th of July, the glorious and ever memorable day, be celebrated through America, by the sons of freedom, from age to age till time shall be no more. Amen and amen." (from the Virginia Gazette, July 18, 1777)

To this day, the occasion is marked by festivities throughout America. It’s a birthday party, and everyone is invited. In Tagalog lingo, it was a fiesta time!

At the Rose Bowl, only one of the many celebrations, a carnival opened at 10 in the morning. The more adventurous kids eagerly lined up to enjoy the rides, a total of five scattered on the lawn; while the others tried their luck at the parlor games.

Food was served, at a price, of course. There was a booth serving hot tamales, tacos, nachos, and other Mexican food. Another booth served pad thai and other Asian dishes. But the winner was the chicken kabob stall where people lined up for 30 minutes to an hour to buy a chicken barbecue stick for $9 (about P504). What is an all-American celebration without barbecue? Runner-up was the booth that served funnel cake and smoothies for refreshments.

People showed up dressed for the occasion, wearing bandanas and tops that bore their beloved nation’s flag. For a while, it was forgotten that the growing sport in and around the world for the moment was hating George Bush for the Saddam-has-weapons-of-mass-destruction mistake. Americans came out to celebrate hope, peace, and freedom in the Land of the Free.

There was a program that showcased various talents – singers and bands like Berlin, Robbie Draco Rosa (one of Ricky Martin’s homies from the Menudo days), Boogie Nights, and Jake Simpson, winner of a popular show on CBS-TV, Star Search. There were BMX stunt riders who amazed the crowd with their flashy riding, and almost flying abilities. And then there were the "Flying Elvis" who really flew. It’s a 10-member skydiving team first featured in the hit movie Honeymoon in Vegas. Jumping from altitudes of 5,000-12,500 feet above the earth, they free-fall for up to 9,500 feet at speeds up to 160 mph, combining a spine-tingling aerial skydiving performance of smoke trails, pyrotechnic fireworks, and precision maneuvers.

The highlight of the night was the fireworks show that started at 9 p.m. The crowd cheered as the maintenance crew around the Rose Bowl turned off all the lights, signaling the start of the show. For about a minute, the pitch black was only interrupted by green, orange, and pink glow sticks, and the roar of the holiday crowd.

For about 30 minutes, interesting colors lit up the Pasadena skies as fireworks danced to the music below. Almost $100,000-worth of pyrotechnics were showcased in the "biggest fireworks display in Southern California." Most touching was the tribute to firefighters, cops, soldiers and volunteers, where synchronized fireworks accompanied the sound of Mariah Carey’s rendition of Hero. At which time, almost every American in the stadium had misty eyes, basking in pride. Other ethnicities – Europeans, Asians, and even some Filipinos – who joined the party looked on and contemplated on what having the American Dream truly meant. It was a goosebumps-inducing scene and positive energy filled the whole stadium.

Through it all, however, the reason for the celebrations was alien to me. Born and raised in Manila, I’m Pinoy as Pinoy can be. "Can’t relate."

Looking at the carnival around me, I longed for the distinct, somewhat dirty and chaotic look of our local perya – Payanig sa Pasig, Big Bang sa Alabang and Star City. Looking at the chicken kabob, I craved Manong Digoy’s adidas, isaw, chicken intestines, gizzard and pork ears, only for a cheap price of P10 per stick. Fifteen minutes into the fireworks show, I recalled the simple beauty of our Bocaue-made roman candle, luces, silver fountain and trompillo, and even the eardrum-popping blasts of the super lolo, bawang and sawa.

Amid the celebration of American Independence, I missed Manila.