In uncertain times, Americans take a break for Independence Day
Adds winners of hot dog eating contest, paragraphs 11-12
NEW YORK, July 4 (Reuters) -Millions of Americans took a welcome Fourth of July break on Thursday, flocking to parades, fireworks shows and barbecues for a brief respite from the daily drumbeat of unsettling news at home and abroad.
The holiday, which marks the July 4 signing of the Declaration of Independence from Britain in 1776, is a day when Americans traditionally celebrate with proud displays of old-fashioned patriotism.
This year, with the country's drift toward hyper-partisanship and an election battle underway between President Joe Biden and challenger Donald Trump, it was a chance for Americans to come together for a day and forget about their differences.
"It seems to me that the country is much more divided than it ever has been," said Dwight Kinsey, 69, a New York City resident enjoying the sun on the Coney Island beach on Wednesday.
"Then again, you come out here, it's a beautiful day, the beach is clean and nice and, you know, life goes on."
With red, white and blue flags and bunting decorating homes and shops from New England to Hawaii, Independence Day was, as usual, mostly about family, food and summer fun.
In New York, the annual Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest usually sets the tone for a day of over-indulgence. After dark, it will end with a bang along the Hudson River, where the Macy's fireworks display will light up the sky against the backdrop of Manhattan's skyline.
Even though 16-time champ Joey Chestnut was a persona non grata at Nathan's contest this year, the man known as Jaws still loomed large at the annual feeding frenzy at Coney Island.
Chestnut, who cruised to top honors last July 4 by wolfing down 62 franks and buns in 10 minutes, was disinvited this year because he signed a deal with a rival company that makes veggie dogs. Instead, the champ will live-stream his own July 4 hot dog event from a Texas military base.
In his absence, a field of 15 lesser-knowns will battle for the vacated "Mustard Belt" that goes to the winner.
Patrick Bertoletti, a 39-year-old from Chicago, emerged victorious on the men's side by consuming a 58 dogs and buns in the allotted 10 minutes, still far short of Chestnut's record of 76 set in 2021.
On the women's side, Miki Sudo successfully defended her title against a field of 14 rivals by consuming a record-breaking 51 dogs and buns to win her 10th Mustard Belt.
Later in the day, the Macy's department store chain will stage its 48th annual Fourth of July fireworks show along the Hudson for the first time in a decade. In recent years, the spectacle was staged along the East River.
Launched from barges moored in the river, some 60,000 shells will travel about 1,000 feet (300 meters) high before exploding into dozens of colors and special effects sure to delight tens of thousands of spectators who will line both sides of the Hudson, which separates Manhattan from New Jersey.
Across the country, other cities are hosting fireworks shows, road races, baseball games and other events that will give people the chance to forget their troubles and relax.
In Southern California, Huntington Beach will hold what it has branded as "the largest Independence Day celebration west of the Mississippi." The city, which began hosting 4th of July events in 1904, now attracts more than 500,000 people, according to organizers.
The festival begins in the morning with a 5K run, followed by a parade and a nighttime fireworks show over the Pacific Ocean. The fun continues on Friday with a block party and rodeo.
In Alaska, where the sun barely sets in summertime, the holiday got off to an early start with a midnight fireworks show in the port city of Seward. It was the first event in a three-day Fourth of July Festival that also features a grueling 5K road race on Mount Marathon and a boat parade.
Reporting by Frank McGurty; Editing by Angus MacSwan and Alistair Bell
면책조항: XM Group 회사는 체결 전용 서비스와 온라인 거래 플랫폼에 대한 접근을 제공하여, 개인이 웹사이트에서 또는 웹사이트를 통해 이용 가능한 콘텐츠를 보거나 사용할 수 있도록 허용합니다. 이에 대해 변경하거나 확장할 의도는 없습니다. 이러한 접근 및 사용에는 다음 사항이 항상 적용됩니다: (i) 이용 약관, (ii) 위험 경고, (iii) 완전 면책조항. 따라서, 이러한 콘텐츠는 일반적인 정보에 불과합니다. 특히, 온라인 거래 플랫폼의 콘텐츠는 금융 시장에서의 거래에 대한 권유나 제안이 아닙니다. 금융 시장에서의 거래는 자본에 상당한 위험을 수반합니다.
온라인 거래 플랫폼에 공개된 모든 자료는 교육/정보 목적으로만 제공되며, 금융, 투자세 또는 거래 조언 및 권고, 거래 가격 기록, 금융 상품 또는 원치 않는 금융 프로모션의 거래 제안 또는 권유를 포함하지 않으며, 포함해서도 안됩니다.
이 웹사이트에 포함된 모든 의견, 뉴스, 리서치, 분석, 가격, 기타 정보 또는 제3자 사이트에 대한 링크와 같이 XM이 준비하는 콘텐츠 뿐만 아니라, 제3자 콘텐츠는 일반 시장 논평으로서 "현재" 기준으로 제공되며, 투자 조언으로 여겨지지 않습니다. 모든 콘텐츠가 투자 리서치로 해석되는 경우, 투자 리서치의 독립성을 촉진하기 위해 고안된 법적 요건에 따라 콘텐츠가 의도되지 않았으며, 준비되지 않았다는 점을 인지하고 동의해야 합니다. 따라서, 관련 법률 및 규정에 따른 마케팅 커뮤니케이션이라고 간주됩니다. 여기에서 접근할 수 있는 앞서 언급한 정보에 대한 비독립 투자 리서치 및 위험 경고 알림을 읽고, 이해하시기 바랍니다.
