[jagthebeetle]

Actually, Americans wouldn't say "fourth July" – that would likely connote "the fourth iteration of July" in some longer timespan (e.g. "In the fourth July of my adolescence").

"Fourth _of_ July" (or "July fourth") are the Americanisms here.

[civopsec]

Given that they wrote “2nd of December” that was probably just a blunder.

[Symbiote]

In Britain we usually write "2 December" or "2nd December" even though it's spoken as "the second of December". The words are often slurred together, "the second've December" or "th'second've December"; "the thirtieth've April".

Actually pronouncing it carefully with a clear "of" emphasizes the date, either for clarity or because it's otherwise important.