4. Food - Every holiday needs some good eats to nosh on. But this holiday begs for some of my favorites; from burgers, to watermelon, to potato salad, to s'mores. There is nothing like some good grilled foods and summer treats to fill your belly.
3. Fireworks - I'll be honest, I happen to think the build up and thought of fireworks is almost always better than fireworks actually are. But regardless of how dinky the firework show my be, or even if you're just shooting off fireworks on your own, they are always a must!
2. Family - Regardless how you're spending your holiday, if it's not with family (or at least friends) it's no fun! Activities are only as good as who you share them with.
1. Fun - This one may sound like a bit of a cope out. Obviously any holiday needs a bit of fun (shoot, every day should have a bit of fun), but I'll take this one a bit further. I think the 4th requires a different kind of fun than you can have every day. It requires a special activity of some sort; whether it's a bonfire, a picnic, a parade or a cookout.