AMERICA’S NATIONAL INDEPENDENCE DAY PARADE - JULY 4TH

Festivities are held throughout the United States on the occasion of the American National Day. On July 4, 1776, the final version of the Declaration of Independence was validated and its adoption was voted on, marking the country's independence from Great Britain.

In Washington, the country's birth is celebrated in a spectacular way, with a huge parade full of colour and music between 7th Street and 17th Street. The atmosphere, warm and family, is one of joyful patriotism, with parades of bands, giant inflatable balloons, politicians and red, blue and white flags everywhere. Fireworks, visible in particular from the National Mall, are fired over the Potomac. All day long, events are organized, including A Capitol Fourth, a series of free concerts in front of the Capitol.

In 2017, Donald Trump was Emmanuel Macron's guest to attend the July 14 parade on the Champs-Elysées. Dazzled by the military parade, particularly tanks and fighter planes, the American President decided to use them as a model for the celebration of independence in Washington on 4 July 2019. The results are mixed: to avoid damaging the pavement, the tanks remain parked on their sides and simply serve as a backdrop. The aerial parade did take place, but the Washington Post described Trump's military parade as a "failed imitation of July 14".