Sitting at my desk in my apartment putting the final touches on my Signers’ Day speech, I can see and hear the distant fireworks celebrating Independence Week. I have grown too old to battle the crowds to hear the patriotic music they are playing near the Ben Franklin Bridge. I find some Springsteen on my IPod as I continue to write and watch the fireworks. I have never been completely wowed by fireworks but I must admit that the patriotic music does sometimes get to me.
It seems hard to believe that we are celebrating our 7th annual Signers’ Day this year. I’m so proud of the holiday that we at Christ Church have developed to honor America and celebrate the lives of the seven signers of the Declaration of Independence buried on Christ Church grounds. The idea of this holiday was sparked by discussions between Neil and me about creating a day to honor Francis Hopkinson. We decided that it would only be fair to honor all 7 signers, thus began Signers’ Day. We needed to pick a date and even though I wanted to use August 2nd (the date most men signed), we decided to connect to Welcome America celebrations and present it the day before Independence Day. The staff at Christ Church would agree that Signers’ Day has not only become our signature event but also the most fun day for all.
I feel it is our duty to teach visitors about the signers other than Ben Franklin. I find it interesting that on July 4th, 1788 Francis Hopkinson honored the country he helped create by organizing “a grand procession,” the largest parade (at that point) in American history, yet today he is virtually unknown. So happy Signers’ Day and thank you to Benjamin Franklin, Joseph Hewes, Francis Hopkinson, George Ross, Dr. Benjamin Rush, James Wilson and Robert Morris!
- Hop
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