U.S. MISSION CLOSED FOR INDEPENDENCE DAY

July 3, 2007

The U.S. Mission in Nepal will be closed on Wednesday, July 4 on the occasion of Independence Day, a national holiday in the United States.  The Embassy, USAID, and the Consular Section and American Center in the Yak & Yeti complex (west wing) comprise the Mission.

Presidential Proclamation: 

I send greetings to Americans everywhere celebrating Independence Day.
Two hundred thirty-one years ago, 56 brave men signed their names to a bold creed of freedom that set the course of our Nation and changed the history of the world. On this anniversary, we remember the great courage and conviction of our Founders, and we celebrate the enduring principles of our Declaration of Independence.
 
Through selfless sacrifice and unrelenting determination, the patriots of the American Revolution ensured that our Nation's claim to liberty and equality would not be dismissed or forgotten. The ideals they fought for and the country they helped establish are lasting symbols of hope to the entire world.

Our commitment to America's founding truths remains steadfast. We believe that freedom is a blessing from the Almighty and the birthright of every man and woman. As our Nation faces new challenges, we are answering history's call with confidence that our legacy of freedom will always prevail. On Independence Day, we express our gratitude to the generations of courageous Americans who have defended us and those who continue to serve in our country's hour of need, and we celebrate the liberty that makes America a light to the nations.

Laura and I wish you a Happy Fourth of July. May God bless you, and may He bless our wonderful country.

GEORGE W. BUSH

History
The Fourth of July, or American Independence Day, is celebrated each year to honor the day America split from British rule. On June 7, 1776, citizens from the 13 original American colonies called for a Continental Congress to declare the United States free, and they started drafting such a document on June 11. After a total of 86 changes were made, the final version was officially adopted on July 4 as the document that we know as the Declaration of Independence. On July 4, 1777, Philadelphia marked the first anniversary of Independence Day with bonfires, bells and fireworks. In 1941, the U.S. Congress declared July 4th a federal holiday.
 
Today the Fourth of July is celebrated the same way. Communities across America mark this major midsummer holiday with parades, fireworks, picnics and the playing of the national anthem, the “Star Spangled Banner.” Friends and families gather to play games and to feast on hotdogs and apple pie. American Independence Day has become a day of celebration across the whole nation, a day in which all the American people unite under one flag.

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