Here’s a new annual Fourth of July tradition you can add to the fireworks and barbecues:

Each year on this day I play a video of the Will Smith film “Independence Day,” in which aliens attack the major cities of the world. In the film, you can see New York, Los Angeles and Washington, DC get destroyed at the same time. These destructions spur the military into action, and, led by a Marine Corps pilot and a total technology geek, the people win their ultimate battle against the invaders, thus redefining Independence Day as a worldwide holiday.

This is the film that made Will Smith the king of Fourth of July films, as he struck it big again a year later with “Men in Black,” and its 2002 sequel. He’s become a legitimate star, maturing far beyond his Fresh Prince years. To make it from West Philadelphia to Hollywood, I tip my cap to him.

And there you have it. If you have a VCR or DVD player, make sure you have “Independence Day” in your movie collection, and if you don’t, you should either rent or buy it. Then you can start your own annual tradition, just like me. Hopefully, many people have already taken that suggestion to heart.

Happy Fourth of July, everybody!