We’re very near the end of June, and, since 4:24 a.m. on June 21, we have been able to officially say we are in the summer season.

That means July 4 is right around the corner.

This year’s celebration will take on extra meaning — we will be celebrating the 250th anniversary of the country’s founding.

Patriotism will be on full display during the next week or so, and we will be seeing more and more red, white and blue; more flags will be flown; and more fireworks will be exploding in our neighborhoods.

And why not? Milestones like the semiquincentennial don’t come around that often and, like the bicentennial that was celebrated in 1976, they offer a chance to reflect on where we are and where we might be headed.

Which brings up an interesting question: Where does our region stand when you look at the rankings of the most patriotic states? The consensus always has been that residents of the Tri-State Area are among the most patriotic in the nation. This year’s WalletHub survey, though, offers a differing viewpoint.

According to this year’s Most Patriotic States in America, Ohio ranks 36th, Pennsylvania ranks 38th and West Virginia ranks 41st.

The Washington, D.C.-based personal financial website used two key dimensions — military engagement and civic engagement — and 13 metrics to come up with its numbers. When you break it down that way, Ohio is 36th in military engagement and 27th in civic engagement, while Pennsylvania is 45th in military engagement and 27th in civic engagement. West Virginia is 32nd in military engagement and 36th in civic engagement. When you look at selected metrics, West Virginia ranks 48th when it comes to the number of Peace Corps volunteers per capita.

Virginia finished first overall and Arkansas was last.

A separate survey by WalletHub reveals that 64 percent of Americans own an American flag, and the value of imported American flags last year was $3.9 million. It also shows that 33 percent of Americans will purchase patriotic merchandise for the Fourth of July.

Troubling news is that only 58 percent of U.S. adults say they are extremely proud to be an American — a number that is significantly off the 70 percent who said they were in 2003. Plus, 72 percent of Americans said they think the country is headed in the wrong direction.

One of the most interesting things about the survey? It was that Blue states are more patriotic than Red states when you factor in the results of the 2024 election

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While the Fourth of July can represent a lot of things to different people, common ground can be found in food — 62 percent of Americans say their favorite holiday activity is attending a cookout, with 44 percent listing fireworks or a community celebration as their favorite.

There will be a lot of hot dogs eaten at those celebrations — the estimate is 150 million will be consumed on the holiday. Chicken is another favorite, with 750 million pounds being purchased in the week leading up to the Fourth.

As with most things these days, the cost of food has increased — beef is up 12.9 percent, fresh fish is up 7.4 percent, pop is up 3.9 percent, milk is up 3.7 percent, beer is up 3 percent, bakery products are up 2.6 percent and fresh fruits are up 2.1 percent. If you’re a wine drinker, you will be happy to know that the price of that beverage has increased by 0.7 percent.

Because it falls during the summer, it’s not a surprise that Independence Day is the top holiday for drinking. The estimated amount spent on alcoholic beverages for the holiday is more than $4 billion, with most of that going toward beer. Spending on wine will come in at $536 million.

With all of that alcohol being consumed, the roads likely will be a little more dangerous, the survey shows, with 267 people being killed in Fourth of July car crashes. In 2023, sadly, there were 233 people killed in vehicle crashes that involved a driver with a blood-alcohol content of 0.8 or higher.

The better news is that 376 lives could be saved if people would just wear their seat belts.

And, of course, the day will usually end with fireworks — but even those can be dangerous. Last year, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, there were 15 reported fireworks-related deaths on the Fourth of July. Of those deaths, 31 percent involved people between the ages of 15 and 24, and 30 percent involved people between the ages of 25 and 44.

There were 13,000 people injured by fireworks last year, along with an estimated 1,300 emergency room-treated injuries involving sparklers. Burns are the most common injury (38 percent), and hands and fingers were the most damaged parts of the body (35 percent), with head, face and ears at 22 percent.

Some numbers to think about as the long holiday weekend will soon get under way.

(Gallabrese, a resident of Steubenville, is senior reporter of the Herald-Star and The Weirton Daily Times)