A language lesson for this year’s unique Independence Day

July 7th, 2026 

By Sally Goldberg | Fountain Hills

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OPINION — “Happy July 4th!” We say this same greeting year after year to celebrate Independence Day. However, this year we say it in a whole different way — with the greatest joy ever and extreme pride because it is America’s 250th birthday.

On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Second Continental Congress to officially make the United States of America its own country.

For easy reading, we will call July 4 this year America 250. However, for more advanced enjoyment, we are celebrating our semiquincentennial, or more easily said in parts, semi-quin-centennial (half of 500 years). Here comes another name for this wonderful holiday, sestercentennial, divided into parts as sester-centennial (two and a half centuries). Sester is from Latin meaning “two and a half.”

Let’s keep going to the quarter-millennium. 250 is one quarter of 1,000. The term bisesquicentennial, divided as bises-quin-centennial, specifically refers to the day or year that occurs 250 years after a significant event. It is most commonly used for national or historical milestones, such as the independence of a country. It is a rare term compared to centennial (100th) or bicentennial (200th), and it is often used interchangeably with semiquincentennial, sestercentennial or quarter-millennial.

This milestone is significant because it commemorates 250 years, or a quarter-millennium of history, culture and national identity. The most unusual term of all is bisesquicentennial. It is constructed from these Latin roots: “bi” meaning two, “sesqui” meaning one-and-a-half, and “centennial” meaning 100. Together it is 2.5 centuries, or 250 years.

Getting back to us, we can understand and process because we have exactly what we need — brains! Best is that they always keep learning, and no one can hack them. We are smart, and we must do anything and everything possible to stay that way!

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