Washington, July 5: The White House party for the July Fourth holiday has the hallmarks of both happiness and commiseration.

The crowds danced to a military band playing popular songs and whooped when President Joe Biden took the podium to speak.  Fourth of July or US Independence Day 2021: Know History and Significance of the 4th of July Celebrations in the United States

The Washington Nationals' four presidential mascots — George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt — ran a footrace with Teddy winning.

Yet there was an undeniable sense of loss for participants such as Twanda Taylor, a New Jersey kindergarten teacher. She brought her godson, Nasir Dickerson, 14, who lost his father to COVID-19 on April 21, 2020.

“This is what it's all about — bringing America all back together,” Taylor said. “It's an honour to be here.” (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)