America’s 250th is a Semiquincentennial Event

The first time I saw a reference to our country’s upcoming 250th Independence Day anniversary was last year. My immediate reaction was, “why?”

We’ve had a centennial and a bicentennial but I was unaware of mid-centennial celebrations. Well, OK, go for it. Knock yourselves out. I’m pretty sure we’ll be celebrating the Fourth as usual, somewhere in the shade near water.

Now, if you want to celebrate the 250th in a more special way than mundane Independence Days like 2025, you need to understand something. The name for this numerically significant holiday gets longer because it requires further definition.

So, we’ll be celebrating the semiquincentennial which, if you know your Latin, literally translates to “half of 500 year anniversary.” It’s comprised of semi (half), quin (five), and centennial (100-year anniversary). It’s the official term for this year’s celebration. But it also can go by other names.

Name That Holiday

Sestercentennial (also Latin), is “two and a half centuries” (combining sester for 2.5 and centennial for 100-year anniversary).

Bisesquicentennial is a bit of a stretch. It translates to bi (two), sesqui (one and a half, or half again), and centennial (100-year anniversary). Basically, two centuries plus half a century again. Your math may vary.

Quarter millennium is simply one-fourth of a millennium (1,000 years). But it seems to be counting toward a date (1,000), not from a date (1776). Plus, it just sounds boring.

Because these terms are long and difficult to pronounce, the anniversary is most commonly referred to as the “250th anniversary.” There are other names. The US government has America250 (Congressional commission planning the commemoration) and Freedom250 (public-private task force). These appear to be competing celebration efforts.

I suppose the 250th is somehow special. After all, the country held a major event in 1926 for the 150th in Philadelphia, the birthplace of the nation. It was called the “Sesqui-Centennial International Exposition.” It included a speech by President Calvin Coolidge and an 80-foot illuminated replica of the Liberty Bell. It also rained a lot and the multi-day celebration failed financially.

Bicentennial Balloon Ride

I was 21 when we celebrated the Bicentennial, the 200th anniversary. And I took part in the local events. Here’s an excerpt from a previous column:

“It was 1976 and everyone felt the energy surrounding the bicentennial of the Declaration of Independence, a lifetime event that you remember forever. I knew I would since I was in the midst of it all as a summer intern at the Republican Eagle, working toward my journalism degree at UW-River Falls.

“It wasn’t our country’s forefathers signing a piece of paper 200 years earlier that interested me. No, I was thinking about all the things scheduled that July 4 – the huge parade down East Seventh Street to Colvill Park, the crowds, the fireworks. The city even had a bicentennial commission to organize it, including hiring someone to pilot a hot air balloon over town, a flight I would be on.

“The balloon ride was scheduled for six pm for the best chance of very still air. The red, white and blue balloon had two tanks of propane, controls for heat, an altimeter and a roll of toilet paper to tear off a piece and toss it out. If it went down, we were going up and vice versa. Very scientific. We ascended to almost 1.5 miles.

“It was about then that the pilot looked at the propane gauge and decided we better start our descent. He asked me where we could land. Wait, what? You brought me all the way up here, we’re low on fuel and you’re asking me where to land?

“There were no cell phones or GPS back then. We landed in the swamp just south of County 66/Pioneer Road. The pilot’s chase car was there along with my brother Dave, my dad and others.

“We had to fly it up and over some power lines, then throw a rope down so they could pull us down to the road. The basket spun around several times before we finally landed, balloon still intact. The pilot was the most relieved. We were out of fuel.

“The balloon was again set up at Colvill Park with its flame creating a dazzling orb in the festive darkness. Yet it revealed no clues about its adventure that day.

May the tricentennial reach such lofty heights.”

See? I was never expecting a 250th. A kid might describe the 250th simply as “our country’s 250th Fourth of July.”

And the kid would be right.