JULY, PINCH AND A PUNCH

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July is the seventh month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It was named by the Roman Senate in honour of Roman general Julius Caesar in 44 B.C., being the month of his birth. Before then it was called Quintilis, being the fifth month of the calendar that started with March.

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It is on average the warmest month in most of the Northern Hemisphere, where it is the second month of summer, and the coldest month in much of the Southern Hemisphere, where it is the second month of winter.

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In the US the dog days or dog days of summer are the hot, sultry days of summer. They were historically the period following the rising of the star system Sirius (known colloquially as the "Dog Star"), which Hellenistic astrology connected with heat, drought, sudden thunderstorms, lethargy, fever, mad dogs, and bad luck. They are now taken to be the hottest, most uncomfortable part of summer in the Northern Hemisphere.

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July's birthstone is the ruby, which symbolises contentment.

Its birth flowers are the larkspur and the water lily.

The zodiac signs are Cancer (until July 22) and Leo (July 23 onward).

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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!

July 4 is Independence Day (U.S.), celebrating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776.

July 14 is Bastille Day, which commemorates the storming of the Bastille and the start of the French Revolution.

Some others:

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

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Pinch and a punch for the first of the month. Someone would say it to you on the first day of the month and then pinch and punch you.

Remember that from when we were kids? Although I had an adult friend (now departed) who still used to do it each month.

There are various theories on the origins:

It has been reported that President George Washington began the tradition. During his presidency (1789-97), George Washington would meet with Native American tribes on the first day of each month and provide fruit punch with an added pinch of salt. This ultimately became known as 'pinch punch first of the month.

Another theory behind the tradition dates back to medieval times when witchcraft was a huge concern among people. Salt was intended to make witches weak, and so the 'pinch' signified the use of salt to weaken the sorceress, while the 'punch' was delivered to banish the witch forever. The phrase, therefore, was suggested to symbolise welcoming in a new month while protecting oneself from bad luck.

Over the years, the words within the saying have become more literal, with many receiving a pinch and punch as a practical joke by loved ones.

In response to 'pinch, punch, first of the month,' some will respond with 'white rabbits, no return,' to avoid any more back and forth.

The phrase was first recorded in the Notes and Queries book - which was a British periodical in which experts wrote about folklore - in 1909. An entry from the book reads: ‘My two daughters are in the habit of saying ‘Rabbits!’ on the first day of each month.

'The word must be spoken aloud, and be the first word said in the month. It brings luck for that month.

During WWII, it was also a belief among RAF aircrew that saying 'white rabbits' when you woke up would protect you from harm.

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