Joys of July
By Sandy Fleming
Everyone knows about the
Fourth of July; here are some other interesting, unusual and exciting
ways to celebrate this summer month.
Use your encyclopedia to
discover the origins of the word "July." Who is this
month named for, and why is that person famous?
July has been declared
National Ice Cream Month, with good reason! It is full
of ways to celebrate the cold, sweet treat. July 7 was
National Strawberry Sundae Day. Did you know that sundaes
came into being when an ice cream store owner needed to stretch
the supply over Sundays when no dairy deliveries were made? He
added toppings to smaller portions of ice cream! Customers liked
the treat so much that they began asking for "Sundays"
all week long. When some townsfolk objected to the name, the spelling
was changed to "sundae." Finally, July 23 is
National Vanilla Ice Cream Day. Celebrate with a nice
dish or cone.
In the trivia department,
two states have their birthdays this month. Can your young sleuths
discover which ones? Several South American countries celebrate
independence this month as well. You may want to learn more about
the history of Venezuela, Argentina and Peru.
Stephen Foster was
born on July 4. What Stephen Foster songs are popular
in your household? July 5 was the birthday of the famous
circus owner, P.T. Barnum. It's not too late to plan
some circus acts of your own, like weight lifting (paint boxes
or balloons and write 200 lbs. on them!) and tight-rope walking
(stretch a jump rope on the floor). Or, be a magician, clown or
ringmaster. Perhaps you could practice and take the show on the
road to the local nursing home or other places where people would
enjoy it!
The ninth of July
is National Sugar Cookie Day. Try out different sugar
cookie recipes from your favorite cookbooks and find your favorites.
Take some of your culinary efforts to local shut-ins on July
11 -- it's National Cheer Up The Lonely Day.
Here's a challenge for you:
July 16 is National Juggling Day! Try your hand at learning to
juggle. Beanbags and scarves are great for beginners, and jugglers
say that one of the ways to begin is to throw an object and catch
it over and over in the same hand. Your librarian will be able
to show you books about how to learn to juggle.
July 20
is another fun day to celebrate. It's the anniversary
of Neil Armstrong's first walk on the moon! On a lighter
note, it's also National Ugly Truck Contest Day.
Who can design the ugliest truck? July 24 is Amelia Earhart
Day, in honor of the aviator's birthday. What made her
famous? She was the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean!
And, best of all, July
28 is National Milk Chocolate Day! What can you learn
about chocolate to celebrate? Send the kids on a treasure hunt
to find out where chocolate comes from, its history and what it
can be used for. Don't forget to plan a chocolate feast; what
unusual chocolate dishes can you discover?
Happy July!
