It’s that time of year again! The sun is out, the air is warm, and you can hear the splish-splash of children swimming in pools. This could only mean one thing: Christmas in July! This may seem like a strange idea, having Christmas celebrations in the heat of summer. However, in reality, Christmas is not always celebrated in December for everyone!
Initially, this idea of a July Christmas came about because the Southern Hemisphere celebrates winter during the time that the Northern Hemisphere is celebrating summer. The two hemispheres’ seasons are opposite of one another. While we may be trying to cool off in swimming pools and enjoying ice cream, the Southern Hemisphere is heading into winter during June, July, and August.
The countries in the Southern Hemisphere still celebrate Christmas on the well-known date of December 25th. However, they also enjoy a Midwinter Christmas, which is what we refer to as Christmas in July. Some of the countries that enjoy Midwinter celebrations include Australia, Comoros, Madagascar, Bolivia, Angola, French Polynesia, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Samoa, South American, and New Zealand.
So how do these countries celebrate Christmas in July? In New Zealand, for instance, they will decorate their homes just as we do in December. They use holly, pine cones, winter gardens, and some may even paint fake snow in their windows or stretch out cotton to look like snow. After decorating, you could see a family playing Christmas themed games.
Some of these games may include: Pin the red nose on Rudolph, a paper ball fight in place of a snowball fight. Some may even go sledding on the grass if they live in a particularly hilly area. They may also enjoy typical winter beverages, such as cider, eggnog, and even have roasted marshmallows and nuts.
Aside from playing games and eating festive foods, they will also exchange gifts! Unlike typical warm and cozy gifts that we may receive in December, in New Zealand, they choose to give each other summer-themed gifts for the warmer climate. These gifts could be anything from beach towels to sun hats!
Know that you know what Christmas in July in all about, how do we celebrate it in the northern hemisphere? However, you want! Even without snow, New Zealanders spend their July Christmas with fake snow, and fun summer-themed gifts, so why not try some of your own?
You could even try building a summer-themed snowman out of home materials! The real purpose of Christmas in July isn’t to give and receive gifts. Instead, the goal is to spend time with your family and make happy memories together.
This way you can enjoy summer with loved ones!