 But the declaration was actually adopted the afternoon on the 4th. Jefferson dated the parchment on the 4th. And the 4th of July just has a better ring to it than the 2nd of July anyway. But we all have our Independence Day memories. My father used to buy sparklers for us from a guy in Chinatown. For some reason, they were illegal in New York. That they were technically illicit probably added something to the thrill of using them. But he once told us a July 4th story that I've never forgotten.