by Christa Visperas

Created on: July 04, 2009

The Fourth of July is famously associated with the American Independence Day, when the United States declared itself a nation and no longer a colony of the British Kingdom in 1776. As the national holiday of one of the greatest nations in the world, the Fourth of July is observed with parades, family reunions, patriotic songs, barbecues and picnics, and spectacular fireworks.

However, there is another aspect to the Fourth of July that is barely noticed. Beyond the celebration and commemoration of the birth of the nation, July 4 is also a minefield of myths and superstitions, folklore and legends. Compiled below are interesting bits of information showing that the Fourth of July is not only a moment of patriotism, it also carries a slice of the mythical, mystical and supernatural.

1. Fireworks in the Fourth of July celebrations capture the victorious mood of America winning its historic battles amid the sounds of guns and cannons. But fireworks also set a superstitious note similar to the Chinese custom of using fireworks to drive off evil spirits to bless the day of celebration.

2. The Liberty Bell symbolizes the freedom bought at a hard price by the American forefathers. It tolls every Fourth of July, and failure to ring the bell is paramount to not winning America's freedom. That is why even when the original Liberty Bell cracked from old age, it was repeatedly melted and recast and rang every Fourth of July.

3. Whimsical though it may seem, a long-enduring superstition continues to make the rounds of the United States, about rains in the Fourth of July. The superstition says that if it rains in the Fourth of July, the entire summer will be wetter and colder than normal.

4. There is an old agricultural wisdom that defies explanation but exists nonetheless. It goes "Rain or dry, plant your turnips on the Fourth of July," sourced from the book "Popular beliefs and superstitions: a compendium of American folklore" by Newbell Niles Puckett, et al. It is not clear if this is a superstitious instruction or a practical gardening advice. A variation of this is "If it rains on the Fourth of July, there will be no corn, " or this equally fascinating bit: "Corn four inches high on the Fourth of July will mature", from the book "Popular beliefs and superstitions from Utah" by Anthon Steffensen Cannon, et al.

5. The number 13 is considered a lucky number, which is why in some parts of the country, the Fourth of July celebrations involve 13-gun salute and 13 toasts. But the more practical explanation is that the gun salute and toasts are offered in honor of the 13 states that formed the initial United States.

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