An old-fashioned Fourth of July used to be one of the most exciting holidays that people in the United States celebrated. Everyone took part in the fun. A large part of this fun involved setting off firecrackers and making as much noise as possible. People gathered together for picnics at lakes, in parks, and at the beaches. There were games of all kinds. But the biggest attraction of the day was always the fireworks. Children had their own firecrackers and each one wanted to make the loudest noise. The oldest boys and girls sometimes had firecrackers five inches long. These were called cannons After dark the nighttime fireworks started. different-colored