7 Biggest July Holidays You’ve Probably Never Heard the Real Story Behind
July is the seventh month of the year. In the Northern Hemisphere, it is thought of as a summer month. There are some huge holidays included. Examples include Independence Day in the United States and Bastille Day in France. The month also includes Harry Potter’s birthday, and it is National Ice Cream Month. Because there are a lot of holidays, the seven biggest are selected for this article.
Many people in the northern hemisphere also take vacations during July. Several events usually take place in the month. An example is the Tour de France. This is usually a hot month, and with the globe warming, the temperatures have gotten a bit out of control: see the high temperatures and fires in Europe. Is this a month in which you take a vacation?
July Holidays and Observances
There are several important country-specific holidays in July. These are big national holidays and observances, especially the first three. Some of these include, in chronological order:
Canada Day on the First of the Month
The United States may want to invade Canada and make it the fifty-first state. In the meantime, the Trump administration wants to levy extreme tariffs on the nation. It is also the case that smoke from wildfires in Canada is blowing into the United States. However, Canada Day is important as it commemorates the formation of the Dominion of Canada in 1867.
Independence Day on the Fourth of the Month
It is ironic that just three days later we celebrate the Independence of the United States. July 4th commemorates the United States in 1776. This is an important day in world history. This event represented the first cracks in the colonial empire of the United Kingdom. The revolutions came fast and furious after that.
Bastille Day, the Fourteenth Day of the Month
Keeping with the theme of national independence, Bastille Day in France celebrates the storming of the Bastille in France. This event kicked off the French Revolution. The event, when a crowd of Parisians stormed a former French prison in 1789. This event, in historical context, happened right after the American Revolution.
Nelson Mandela Day: the Eighteenth Day of the Month
We need to commemorate the birth of one of the world’s most famous freedom fighters. July 18th was the birthday of Nelson Mandela. Jailed in apartheid South Africa, he was freed and later became president of the country. In his life, he was a symbol for racial equality the world over. In death, we now remember him fondly and use the anniversary of his birth to mark racial equality.
National Ice Cream Day: The Nineteenth Day of the Month
It is typically hot in July. It is a month when summer gets going in earnest. It makes sense that people eat a lot of ice cream. This observance occurs on July 19, 2026. This is appropriate and is a holiday that everyone can observe.
Marine Day: The Twentieth Day of the Month
Marine Day, or Umi no Hi (“Ocean Day”), is a public holiday in Japan. It celebrates the ocean that gives Japan its borders. In 1941, Communications Minister Shōzō Murata commemorated the 1876 voyage of the Meiji Emperor by designating the date as Marine Memorial Day, as it was known until 1996.
Pioneer Day: The Twenty-Fourth Day of the Month
Pioneer Day is celebrated in Utah. It celebrates the original wagon ride of Brigham Young and his followers. The day is celebrated with fireworks and is important because it marks a watershed event for the Church of Latter-day Saints. Thus, it is both an official holiday and an important commemoration in the church.
Week- and Month-Long Observances
There are several commemorative weeks in the month as well. Clean Beaches Week is the first week of the month from the first to the seventh. Shark Week, popularized by the Discovery Channel, has taken on new meaning this year with shark sightings along the coast in several states. There are also quite a few month-long observances. It is National Ice Cream Month, so that fits with the observance on the nineteenth day of the month.
