Paul , you've got a very nice house . What is it there on the wall . It looks like an old document. It is a copy of American Declaration of Independence. In 1776, on July 4th , trirteen American colonies of Britain declared their independence . They didn't want to be part of the British Empire any longer. The 4th of July is now known as Independence Day , the birthday of the United States of America. Oh , yes, I know . It's a very important national holiday. My family and I always celebrate this day. It is a day off for everybody. We usually have a picnic or barbecue . In the mornings there are usually parades, and in evenings fireworks in parks and town squares. You can see the colours of the American flag everywhere . It's one of my favoruite holidays! I like May holidays in Russia . May 9th is Victory Day. On May 9th, 1945, World War 2 ended. We have a parade and fireworks on this day.