Fun Facts About the Month of July WHAT DO JULIUS CAESAR AND BUFFALO WINGS HAVE IN COMMON?
Most Americans associate July with Independence Day and everything the holiday entails, including traditional barbecue cuisine, fireworks, and summer vacations. However, in addition to the Fourth of July, this midsummer month has a rich history and offers fun opportunities for everyone to celebrate. ‘WHAT’S IN A NAME?’ You’ve likely heard of Julius Caesar, the famous Roman dictator and general known for changing the Roman Empire’s political structure, innovating war tactics, and eventually dying after a legendary assassination. But did you know that July, Caesar’s birth month, wasn’t always called that? It was initially named Quintilis , which means “fifth” in Latin, because it was the fifth month of the ancient Roman calendar. Shortly after Caesar’s death, the month of Quintilis was renamed July in his honor. Of course, Caesar’s legacy didn’t end there. Before he died, he implemented the Julian calendar, which he based off of the Egyptian solar calendar, and it remained in place for over 1,500 years until the Gregorian calendar was introduced in the 16th century. RED, WHITE, AND WHO? Similar to the Declaration of Independence for the U.S., Canada’s Constitution Act of 1867, signed on July 1 of
that year, marks the birth of Canada. The following year, Charles Monck, the 4th Viscount Monck and Canada’s first governor-general, signed a proclamation requesting that everyone in Canada celebrate their country’s independence on July 1. However, it wasn’t until 100 years later that the date officially became Canada Day. Most celebrations include fireworks and red and white attire, much like how Americans celebrate the Fourth of July. GOT WINGS? While chicken wings are a staple of Southern dining, they actually originated in upstate New York. In 1964, Teressa Bellissimo, co-owner of the Anchor Bar, started cooking leftover wings dipped in hot sauce for her son and his friends. After receiving enthusiastic feedback, Bellissimo put them on the menu. Over the next few years, the recipe’s popularity spread, and in 1977, former Buffalo mayor Stan Makowski declared July 29 to be National Chicken Wing Day. The reputation of the famous Buffalo wings continued to spread nationwide, and in the early ‘90s, wings became an international hit when McDonald’s, KFC, and Domino’s Pizza began selling them in the variety of flavors we know and love today.
EMBRACE NEW TRADITIONS CELEBRATING THE HOLIDAYS AS A SINGLE PARENT
The holidays are a time for fun and celebration, but they can also be extra stressful on single parents. Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Passover have a major emphasis on spending time with the whole family. Even holidays like the Fourth of July, which tend to have lower expectations, can be difficult on single parents who want to make sure their kids have positive memories of childhood holidays.
Some single parents feel pressured to maintain a sense of normalcy for their kids, especially around the holidays. This can lead some parents to try and reenact the traditions their family had before the divorce. Such attempts can be impossible and even painful. Don’t focus on what you did last year. Take the Fourth of July, for example. If you always go to your parents’ house for an afternoon barbecue, then by all
means, enjoy that tradition. But if you have moved in the last year and no longer live in a house on the parade route, don’t feel like you have to make that same parade part of your Fourth of July celebration each year. New activities can easily become beloved traditions for you and your kids. Does your local fire station host a pancake breakfast on the Fourth of July? Is there a group that gets together to go trick-or-treating in your neighborhood on Halloween? Have you ever thought about going to a movie after dinner on Thanksgiving? If you need help planning your holiday activities, don’t hesitate to reach out to friends and family members. The people who helped support you through your divorce are likely the same people who want to support you in your life after divorce. Above all else, don’t put pressure on yourself to make the holidays instantly perfect. Just focus on enjoying the time you have with your kids. That’s what these holidays are really about.
4 AtlantaDivorceLawGroup.com
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