Maybe Christmas is the king of romantic holidays. It seems like half the “holiday” songs are torch songs, or at least ones that are lovesick.

But I think a good case can be made that in America, the Fourth of July is the most romantic holiday. St. Valentine’s Day is just too early in most of America. Much of Europe is thawing from its moderate winter. In America, February 14 is still a frozen nightmare, one that has lasted too long.

July Fourth celebrations are just as hard or easy as you want them to be. There isn’t the logistical difficulty of Thanksgiving. You also don’t HAVE to spend it with family — it could be a celebration of friends only. There’s no expectation for it to be perfect. But in general, it is family-friendly. The languid day can be spent watching kids run through sprinklers, enjoying the chats of the old-timers. Maybe one enthusiast sweats it out over the grill to feed everyone. The warm weather makes public space more intimate. The combination of the heat, the rituals marking time and demanding gratitude, the waiting for evening dark is magic. It all opens up a space for something else. Hands held in the park. Summer songs. Hands held in the dark, a kiss stolen in public that nobody sees. I think the Fourth of July is for more than love of country.