Just about all of us would agree that summertime kicks off with our 4th of July celebrations. But while many of us will head to the beaches, parks and parades, we wanted to know just what was the most important part of this joyous celebration!

So along with the Food Marketing Institute’s Research Department we queried almost 500 people nationwide earlier this week – and what we found was surprising! It wasn’t about the day off or even the food.

Our consumer panel reports that the number one favorite part of Independence Day is spending the day with family and friends – which comes as no surprise as the sputtering economy is keeping people at home, looking for comforting experiences and searching out those soothing comfort foods like hamburgers and hot dogs. Fireworks displays are a close second with one-quarter looking forward to the brilliant colors filling the skies. Having the day off, the history and the food close out the top five panel favorites for this year’s July 4th.

What is your favorite part of Independence Day?
Being with family	32%
The fireworks	25%
The history	15%
Having the day off	10%
The food	9%
Family traditions	8%
Parades	2%
Live music	1%

Source:
FMI/SupermarketGuru.com Consumer Panel

Methodology:
The Food Marketing Institute Research team and the SupermarketGuru.com editorial team jointly developed a series of questions surrounding consumer favorites. The survey is fielded through the quick poll section of the SupermarketGuru.com website for the readership to participate. In total, 478 people participated in the survey.

What’s your favorite part of 4th of July?