CHRISTMAS IN JULY

Ho ho ho! It’s the most wonderful time of the year – in July?! Yes, you read that right. Christmas in July is becoming a popular trend among families and Christmas enthusiasts. And who can blame them? With all the festivities, decorations, and activities associated with Christmas, why not bring some holiday cheer in the middle of the year? After all, what’s not to like about good food, festive games, and family time, all smack in the middle of summer?

One reason why people are increasingly embracing the idea of Christmas in July is that it enables them to relive the holiday spirit without having to wait for December. By incorporating the same traditions and rituals, we associate with Christmas, we can bring back that same feeling of joy and excitement we experience every year. Besides, who says you can only celebrate in December to have a merry time? The sun, sand, and long bright day provide a unique set of conditions to make Christmas even more memorable, just like our friends over in OZ get to enjoy every year!

Create Your Own Traditions

Christmas in July gives you the opportunity to create some fun traditions. You can come up with unique ways to celebrate, such as having a beach-themed Christmas party, organizing a Secret Santa gift exchange, or decorating a palm tree with fairy lights. You can also revisit some of your favourite Christmas traditions, like watching holiday movies or baking Christmas cookies. The possibilities are endless!

Here are a few fun activities you could try:

• Snowman building contest at the beach.
• Christmas cookie bakeoff competition.
• Christmas movie night by the campfire, complete with smores.
• Water fight wearing Santa hats
• Ugly t-shirt competition – have the kids decorate some plain t-shirts and then display catwalk style. Prizes for the ugliest.

Make Up for Missed Celebrations

Christmas is one of my most favourite times of year, but sometimes living abroad, we miss out on enjoying Christmas with our family because of the cost of travelling back to the UK. It is cheaper for us to travel back home at different times of the year rather than Christmas. Celebrating Christmas in July can help make up for those missed family get-togethers. We have had a few summer celebrations over the years, and I know for sure there will be a few more!

For those who have December babies, the trend of Christmas in July works magic. Often, these birthdays tend to get overshadowed by the holiday season. By celebrating a mid-year Christmas party, you can ensure that your loved one’s birthday gets all the attention it deserves, and they get to experience the joys of Christmas too.

Christmas in July Games to Play

Games are my jam, I love them! So no family gathering is going to be complete without some fun activities. Bring out some of your old family favourites or start some new traditions.

• Christmas Themed Treasure Hunts
• Fun Family Christmas Escape Rooms – try my free Christmas escape room
• Prize Bingo
• Charades
• Word games and activities, like would you rather and A-Z Christmas treats.

I have lots of fun Christmas games and activities in my shop, from puzzle treasure hunts to escape games, bingo and candy dice games. You can find them all in my shop.

Christmas In July food ideas

I love LOVE a full Christmas dinner with all the trimmings, Yorkshire puds, pigs in blankets and, of course, the controversial brussel sprouts. They have a love-hate relationship in our family, I’m a lover, but my brother-in-law detests them! Anyhoo, that hefty meal doesn’t always fit with the hot weather outside. So here are some fun alternative dishes to try

• Turkey burgers with cranberry sauce and a zesty coleslaw side
• Mini Yorkshire puds topped with pulled turkey stuffing and cranberry sauce
• Lemon and rosemary rubbed beef, BBQ’d and served on focaccia with chimichurri sauce
• Mince pie flavoured ice cream.
• Giant pavlova with fresh berries, whipped cream and a touch of edible glitter!

Take a look at my latest blog post, where I have a round-up of some of the recipes I plan on using this summer for our family get-together “celebrating-christmas-in-july-with-these-festive-treats”.

Spread Some Cheer

In conclusion, celebrating Christmas in July is an excellent way to bring some cheer and spirit into the middle of the year. It provides us with a chance to relive the holiday season, with an added twist. It also allows us to create new traditions, reinforce established ones and relive the traditions we may have missed out on in December. Be it for practical reasons or to add some magic for those Christmas babies, there’s no denying that Christmas in July is a trend that’s worthy of embrace. So, dig up your lights and ornaments, play some holiday tunes, and embrace the festive cheer that this may bring your family and friends. Happy Christmas, in July! Just enjoy the festivities because, heck, life is too short!