Known now as a day of patriotism and enjoying time off from work, the Fourth of July began the journey to becoming a quintessential American holiday in 1776, when the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence.

On a hot, steamy day in Philadelphia, a group of delegates to the Continental Congress gathered to celebrate the final approval of the Declaration of Independence.

July 4 is a federal holiday, meaning all major banks (and pretty much all the minor ones) will be closed. You can, however, still use ATM machines to get cash or put money into your account, and online banking is open, though many transactions won’t process until Monday morning.