There are two things that matter most in Boston: summer and freedom. Naturally, Independence Day celebrations are a tentpole of any Bostonian summer plans—but this year’s arrive with more gusto and gravitas than any in recent memory. The Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular returns for 2022 to the iconic Hatch Shell pavilion on the Charles River Esplanade after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic. On Monday, July 4, 2022, the city will once again swell with residents taking to their roof decks, suburbanites riding the Commuter Rail into town to gathering on the banks of the Charles, and travelers coming from around the world to witness what it means to be American, at a time when being American feels more fraught than ever before.