Monday is U.S. Independence Day — the holiday informally called the Fourth of July.

Americans will celebrate the day the country's Founding Fathers declared independence from Britain in 1776 with picnics, parades and concerts.

Traditional fireworks will light up the nighttime skies over small towns and major cities, including Washington, New York and Philadelphia, where the Declaration of Independence was signed.

One hundred new citizens will be sworn-in at Mount Vernon, the home of the first U.S. president George Washington. The current president, Barack Obama, will host members of the military and their families for a White House barbecue and concert.