4th of July: Who, Wait, You Mean All the Parties on the Wrong Day?
Well, not exactly. One of the reasons the emerging field of Cultural Entomology is so fun and fascinating is that stories pop up in the most unexpected places.
It only makes sense: insects are everywhere, they have been here forever, and they in inordinately multitudinous.
I just learned today that James Adams – the steam engine forefather of the Declaration of Independence – declared to his wife his prediction that generations of Americans would celebrate the founding of the country with parades and fanfare and triumphant music. The day he prognosticated? July 2nd.
That’s when the founding fathers were supposed to have sanctioned the D.O.I.
What delayed them from signing on the dotted line?
HORSEFLIES!!!
That’s right – horseflies from a nearby farm apparently swarmed the Congressional Congress buildings and drove them – literally – buggy. This report I read also suggested the hilarity of seeing these very serious men wearing WIGS trying to counter attack the incessant flies.
BTW – the horse fly is in the family of Tabanid flies, with about 4500 species around the world. Only the females are bloodsuckers.
Perhaps we could celebrate the second of the month as the Second of Ju-Fly.
Or maybe not.
