Rabbit Rabbit
July 2021

Rabbit, rabbit!

Since at least 1909, a superstition has lived in North American and the United Kingdom that if a person says or repeats the word “rabbit” upon waking up on the first day of the month, good luck will follow for the remainder of that month.

Elements of the tradition exist in the United Kingdom, New England, and even in various First Nation cultures.

While I’m not necessarily endorsing the superstition, it provides a way to look in depth at each month of the year, from history and observances to miscellaneous trivia. The topic this month is July.

History

July was named by the Roman Senate in honor of of the general Julius Caesar and his birth month. Before that point, it was called Quintilis, literally the fifth month of a ten-month calendar.

There’s really not much more to its history. In the modern era, it marks the beginning of the second half of the year, and heralds the arrival of the Dog Days in the Northern Hemisphere as the typically hottest days of summer come to bear.

Observances

The month is light in observances. The United Kingdom and United States share Group B Strep Awareness Month, and the US adds National Hot Dog Month and National Ice Cream Month.

There are a slew of daily observances, however, so there are still plenty of ways to celebrate.

Trivia

• July’s birthstone is the ruby, a symbol of contentment.
• The western zodiac signs of July are Cancer (until July 22) and Leo (July 23 onwards).
• The month’s birth flowers are the larkspur and the water lily.

Rabbit Rabbit is a project designed to look at each month of the year with respect to history, observances, and more.

For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.