The Month of July 2024: Holidays, Fun Facts, Folklore

The Month of July

July is named after Roman dictator Julius Caesar (100 B.C.–44 B.C.). Caesar developed the precursor to the Gregorian calendar we use today. Find out the origin of each month’s name.

July Calendar

• July 1 is Canada Day, a Canadian federal holiday that celebrates the creation of the Dominion of Canada in 1867. 
• July 3 brings the start of the hot and sultry Dog Days of Summer! Read all about the Dog Days of Summer.
• July 4 is Independence Day (U.S.). On the fourth of July, we celebrate the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Don’t forget to raise the flag! (See American Flag Rules.) See our full Independence Day page and enjoy trivia—plus, refresh your memory on the real meaning of this day.
• July 7 marks Islamic New Year, which begins with the first sighting of the crescent Moon after the new Moon in the month of Muharram. This event signals the start of the Islamic lunar calendar year.
• July 14 is Bastille Day, which commemorates the storming of the Bastille and the start of the French Revolution.

“Just for Fun” Days

• July 11: International Town Criers Day
• July 17: National Hot Dog Day
• July 22: Spooner’s Day
• July 23: National Day of the Cowboy
• July 27: Take Your Houseplants for a Walk Day
• July 30: National Cheesecake Day

July Weather

Summer temperatures, on average, will be hotter than normal from New England through the Atlantic Corridor, in Florida and the Deep South, through Texas and the Midwest, and on to California. In terms of rainfall, much of the country has normal to below-normal rainfall, especially in New England and the Midwest. However, the West Coast, Texas, and the Atlantic Corridor will see normal to above-normal rainfall.

See our summer 2024 weather forecast.

July Astronomy

The Buck Moon

July’s full Moon, the Full Buck Moon, occurs on Monday, July 21. It reaches peak illumination at 6:17 A.M. (EDT), rising above the horizon after sunrise—but it will still be spectacular in the night sky. Find out why it’s called the Buck Moon!

July’s Moon Phases

New Moon: July 5, 6:57 P.M. EDT
First Quarter: July 13, 6:49 P.M. EDT
Full Moon: July 21, 6:17 A.M. EDT
Last Quarter: July 27, 10:52 P.M. EDT

Other Astronomy Highlights

July 5 is the time of aphelion when Earth is the farthest it will get from the Sun for the entire year—specifically, we’ll be 94,506,364 miles away from our bright star!

Another highlight of the July sky is the “Summer Triangle.” See our free, printable Star Chart for July to learn about the three “stars of summer.”

July Gardening

1. Deadhead your flowers, removing faded blooms from your spring perennial flowers such as peonies, bearded iris, and Asiatic lilies. See 4 reasons to deadhead flowers.
2. Harvest daily as vegetables always taste better when young and tender. See when to harvest fruit and vegetables for the best flavor.
3. Stay on top of pests with daily walks of your garden. See our library of pests and diseases.
4. Mulch, mulch, mulch! Retain moisture and suppress weeds with mulch. See how to mulch your garden and the types of mulch.
5. Look at your gardens; see that you destroy all kinds of weeds before they go to seed. See 13 most common weeds.
6. Are your crops starting to take over your kitchen? Check out some of our storage tips for fruits, vegetables, and herbs.

See our Garden Tips for July for a full list of tasks to keep you busy in the garden!

Recipes for the Season

Here are a few of our favorite summertime recipes:

• Summer Sliders
• Baked Summer Squash
• Grilled Summer Vegetables

See our tips on how to grill vegetables.

Visit the garden-fresh Summer Recipes collection for great meal ideas using fresh, seasonal ingredients.

Everyday Advice

Warm weather allows us to get outside and complete some annual household duties.

Do you have some painting to do? Learn how to choose and use the right paintbrush for the job.

Many folks sell their house in the summer. Check out our tips on a speedy house sale.

Folklore for the Season

• Ne’er trust a July sky.
• If ant hills are high in July, the coming winter will be hard.
• As July, so next January.
• No tempest, good July,
  Lest the corn look ruely.
• Whatever July and August do not boil,
  September can not fry.

July Birth Flower

July’s birth flowers are the larkspur and water lily.

The Larkspur, especially white forms, generally indicates lightheartedness; pink, fickleness; purple, first love.

The water lily symbolizes purity of heart. 

July Birthstone

The July birthstone is the ruby, which is believed to protect its wearer from evil.

• “Ruby” is derived from the Latin rubeus, which means “red.”
• This gem is a red form of corundum; all other colors are sapphires. The ruby’s color is due to the presence of chromium, which also makes the gem subject to cracks. High-quality rubies are transparent, vibrant, purplish red; cloudier samples, or ones containing brown, orange, or pink tones, are less valuable. Many rubies nowadays are heat-treated to improve color saturation and transparency.
• The ruby, along with the related sapphire, is the second hardest natural gemstone, with only the diamond being harder.
• The gem was once thought to protect warriors if worn on their armor or embedded in their skin.
• Considered the king of gems, the ruby symbolizes love, passion, energy, and success.

Find out more about July’s birthstone.

July Zodiac & Astrology

July’s zodiac signs are Cancer (June 21 to July 22) and Leo (July 23 to August 22).