Christmas in July Celebrations Around the World

Christmas in July. Hearing that phrase always makes me think of television ads loudly touting new car sales or furniture store clearance days. But there is more to Christmas in July than just being used as a hyped up marketing tool.

During the hot days of summer, many people begin to crave cooler weather that brings the holiday spirit and gift giving, and in satisfying that urge, throw Christmas in July parties-complete with Christmas dinner, cookies and decorations. Other people say that having a Christmas in July celebration gets them away from the commercialism that pervades the holiday in December at every turn. Christmas music and celebration can be enjoyed as chosen instead of forced upon the masses for six or eight weeks, with tinny tunes in the air long before December and stores decorating for Christmas before the Thanksgiving turkey is on the table. I personally love Christmas, but give the Thanksgiving turkey his due!

A couple of interesting Christmas in July stories have a basis that is more than just celebrating as we wish for cooler temperatures-not that there is anything wrong with that at all! For example, at the McMurdo Station in Antarctica, the tradition of celebrating Christmas in July seems to have started because of the midwinter supply drops, for the month of July is in winter there. As the temperatures were far too cold and the winds much too dangerous for the military planes bearing supplies to land, the planes would zoom by overhead and drop packages that contained fresh food, mail and other supplies down onto the ice. This sudden arrival of packages in the dead of winter naturally made people liken it to a visit from Old Saint Nick himself, hence the Christmas in July celebration.

I have also learned that many Australian families celebrate a 'half Christmas' in June or July, a tradition which seems to have come along due to television from the U.S. Since the Australian December falls in the middle of the hot summer but July in more cooler, wintertime temperatures, Christmas in July actually makes sense for them in that a heavy Christmas meal is much better in the wintertime than the hot days of summer when everybody wants to eat light and cool. Not that a party has to make sense at all!

For people that love Christmas, or a good, fun celebration anytime, Christmas in July sounds like just the ticket. Kids would love having Christmas decorations,music, cookies and of course presents in July. Party ideas are easy, anything and everything to do with Christmas. It could be completely about wintertime Christmas celebrations, even to the extent of using the air conditioner to cool the house down enough for a fire or a hybrid celebration using tropical themes and Santa hats. The menu could be traditional Christmas fare or even summertime fare with Christmas twists. Any excuse for a fun party with family and friends.