Yes, expats in Bermuda DO celebrate the Fourth of July. Despite a rainy beginning, over 3,000 folks gathered on July 1 near Dockyard for "American" food (hot dogs, fried chicken, hamburgers, cole slaw, potato salad, apple pie, ice cream, popcorn, sodas), games, bingo, music, and, of course, fireworks. If the rainy day hadn't dampened enthusiasm for the evening, around 5,000 people had been expected. Fortunately, the rain ended early in the evening, and the fireworks were spectacular.

So, here are three photos (see above) of events: (1) Abby eating her hamburger in the rain at the start of the festivities, (2) our friends the Broughtons competing (father and son) in a very amusing bungee-run event where at the end of your all-out run to place a velcroed ribbon as close to the end as possible, the bungee line snaps you back to the start (3) Gombey dancers.

"Gombey dancers?" you ask. Well, the Gombey dance tradition originated in West Africa. This tribal dance was imported into Bermuda and the Caribbean along with slavery. Over time, Gombey dancers incorporated calypso and reggae dance steps and beat, Biblical stories, stylistic elements from the British military, and costumes influenced by American Indians: an ecletic hodgepodge of entertainment and a tradition in which members of Gombey troupes take great pride. The costumes are handmade and the tradition is proudly transferred from one generation to the next.