4th July: What does Independence Day mean to expats?

Picture Source: 17andbaking.com

The 4^th July, Independence Day is one of the highlights in the US calendar where the corks are popped, the fireworks lit and people come together to celebrate. National holidays are always a time for family and friends to relax and be merry and there are few greater or better well known national holidays than US Independence Day.  

But how does it feel to be an expat in the US during Independence Day? Pretty good one can imagine if we look at the results from the 2011 HSBC Expat Explorer Survey, the US ranked as the best place in the world for expat entertainment, as one tweeter @JeremyBurcher listed his 4^th July as being ‘beer, baseball and barbeque’, which seems pretty accurate.

Other cultural aspects of the US also make it seem like an easy place for an expat to fit in during celebratory occasions, 62% of expats said it was easy to learn the local language whilst 87% said they were made to feel welcome. The US ranked low for a healthy diet, only 25% of respondents thought that food in the USA was healthy, but anyway, who wants healthy food on the 4^th July!

How will you be celebrating Independence Day? Leave us a comment below.