I didn’t grow up as a big fan of holidays. Sure, there were Christmas presents, Easter eggs (when we were wee tots) and a viewing of the ball drop on New Year’s Eve, but by and large holidays were little more than a day off from work.

That began to change the day I met my wife-to-be. She and her family treated holidays as special occasions, and I soon got caught up in that sentiment. I (mostly) stopped watching New Year’s Day football games to hang out, woke up early Christmas morning and actually paid attention to my birthday.

And then there was the Fourth of July. My wife loves fireworks (she calls them magic); I would view them with her and would enjoy spending time with her, but it was hard for me to get as much enjoyment from them as she did; they were more fizzle than bang for me, if you will.

On Independence Day last year — our first with a child —we went all-out, hosting a picnic before taking our daughter to see the fireworks that night near Niagara Falls.

I have to say, it was fun.

Not only did I finally get to bust out my Homer Simpson cookout apron/oven mitt, but we spent time playing with Penny, enjoying each other’s company and eating quality grilled consumables (which I somehow managed not to burn).

As for the fireworks — well, whatever amount my wife wasn’t able to convert me, our daughter did.

She was 11 months old at the time, just old enough to begin to grasp what was going on. From the moment the first bang went off, her eyes lasered in more on the skyward wizardry with each loud pop.

She was glued to the action in the sky, gazing with an amazement that would only be reserved for her father’s nose falling off of his face or some other unfathomable feat. And I couldn’t get enough of her enjoying the action.

A child’s attraction to fireworks is obvious, but what about the rest of us? What’s the appeal of bombs bursting in air?

First of all, fireworks aren’t an everyday occurrence. They denote a special occasion, something to look forward to (kind of like how I savor cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving, or that ice cream with the mint Christmas tree imprinted into it in late December).

Then there’s the simple appeal of blowing things up. We can’t do that in our daily lives, and there’s something gratifying about safe, colorful, loud destruction. When people were outraged in the 1990s about Beavis and Butt-Head proclaiming “fire is cool,” they weren’t only acting out of hatred of the cartoon characters; everyone has a little bit of a pyromaniac in them (thankfully we keep that impulse controlled), and critics were afraid that the characters might incite some viewer to awaken that portion of the watcher’s id. Fireworks gratify that subconscious portion of our psyche.

And then there’s that youthful feeling. All kids love the colors, swirls and bangs of fireworks, and as adults, watching fireworks get fired off every July 4 lets us revisit those childhood days. Who wouldn’t want to relive that first viewing of fireworks like we experienced with our daughter last year, or the anticipation of the joy that fireworks provide in the pre-teen years?

We’re lucky, as we get to relive the first viewing experience with our son this year (if he can stay awake, a tough task for a 5-month-old who’s up past 9). We’ll probably have some sort of outdoor dining experience beforehand, get together with family and try to re-create that joyous occasion from last year.

That, I realize more with every holiday that passes, is the point of it all. Tradition, good times and family memories are why people like holidays.

I think I just felt my heart grow three sizes. Any bigger and it’ll stick out too far for me to get my Homer apron on.

Contact Paul Laneat 693-1000, ext. 116,or paul.lane@tonawanda-news.com.



IF YOU GO

Fireworks will be launched at dusk Saturday close to the downtown area along the Erie Canal. The public will be able to view the fireworks from parks and downtown spots on both sides of the canal.

Live music will precede the fireworks in both the City of Tonawanda and North Tonawanda. Niawanda Park on the Erie County side will host Sugar ‘N Jazz at 7 p.m., while Elvis impersonator Terry Buchwald will headline the Gateway Harbor show that starts at 6 p.m. on the Niagara County side.



FOURTH OF JULYFUN FACTS

• An estimated 2.5 million lived in the United States when its independence was declared. Today, that number is 307 million.

• The chances are greater than 1-in-4 that the hot dogs you grill this Fourth of July originated in Iowa, the state that’s home to the most hogs and pigs in the union.

• More than 78 million Americans who said they’ve taken part in a barbecue in the past year.

• The United States imported $202 million worth of fireworks in 2008; of that total, $193 million worth came from China. U.S. fireworks exports in 2008 totaled $28.1 million.

• The United States imported $3.4 million worth of U.S. flags in 2008; of that total, $3 million worth were made in China. U.S. flag exports totaled $569,400 in 2008.

• There are 31 municipalities in the United States with “liberty” in their name, 31 places with “eagle” in the name, 11 places with “independence” in the name, five areas with “freedom” in the name, five places with “America” in the name and one place with “patriot” in the name.

• With $112.4 billion worth of goods traded between the United States and the United Kingdom in 2008, Great Britain — the country from which America won its independence — is now the United States’ sixth-leading trading partner.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau