Christmas in July

If you’ve hit the mid-summer slump and you’re actually considering celebrating National Fry an Egg on the Sidewalk Day (we’ve missed it, but it’s an actual thing!), you just might be in need of Christmas in July!

I love a good theme, and Christmas in July gives you the opportunity to give some focus and festivity to a day or a week, pull out some items and/or activities that are usually reserved for just one month, and have an excuse to crank the air conditioner waaaay down!

I celebrated Christmas in July for the first time when my now 8-year-old was going through that dreaded 4-month sleep regression. I needed something fun to look forward to during those endless days (and nights), so I decided to host a cookie exchange. Getting to bake some delicious cookies shouldn’t be limited to just December, and I needed a reason to make myself be social.

The rules were loose: bring 5 dozen cookies – holiday ones if possible – and something to bring them home in. I asked people to try for homemade but to come anyway if they had to stop at the store for something on the way. I also had people email me their recipes ahead of time so I could compile a (digital) recipe book for everyone who attended. That way, when actual Christmas came around, guests could impress all their friends with their new repertoire of delicious baked goods – or bake their favorites to freeze and eat after the kids were in bed.

The night was a blast! We played Christmas music. Some came in their holiday finest, others in their tacky Christmas sweaters. We laughed and ate and decided Christmas Crack was the thing we had been missing all our lives. I decided that Christmas in July was going to be a staple in our household from that time forward.

Of course, as we added more kids and life evolved, so did the way we celebrate. Here are some of the different things we’ve done over the years:

Christmas Movie: When I was pregnant with my fourth and had three littles five and under – during Covid, no less – all I could muster was turning on The Star, getting out some blankets, and making some hot chocolate for the “big” boys. It was a hit!

Decorate: We keep most of our Christmas decorations in a hard-to-reach spot in a closet, so I don’t really want to drag all of those out for just a few days, but Christmas in July is more fun with a little decor. It doesn’t take much! We have some generic red placemats, so I get those out along with assortments of red and green steamers and tissue paper and whatever holiday decorations we forgot to put away when we cleaned up in January.

Sometimes I decorate after kids are in bed so they wake up to discover “It’s Christmas!” Other times I involve them in the decorating. Whatever is easiest and most fun for you is the best way to go!

Christmas Music: We have a strict rule about Christmas music in our house: we don’t play it until after Thanksgiving, and we stop mid-January. But that is out the window during Christmas in July. Why should some of the best songs get only six weeks of playtime?! We have dance parties to Jingle Bell Rock and Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree and enjoy the hymns at mealtime and bedtime. We’ve even gone caroling (to grandparents via Facetime).

Food: This is different every year, but every Christmas in July needs some sort of festive food! Sometimes I remember to buy an extra bag of Mint M&Ms in December and freeze them so we can make our favorite Christmas cookies.  Sometimes we have a fruit and veggie plate with tomatoes and strawberries, green grapes and broccoli (or whatever green and red foods I have on hand). And sometimes we just put red and green sprinkles on our toast and call it a day! Again, it doesn’t have to be elaborate to be special!

Talk about the reason for the season: Christmas in July is a great way to remind your kids (and yourself) that Jesus’ birthday isn’t just important one month a year. In fact, sometimes the conversations about why Jesus was born are even a little better/easier when separated from all the distractions and excitement that are December. We remind ourselves that He was born SO THAT He could live the perfect life we can’t and die the death we deserve SO THAT we can spend eternity with Him! That’s something worth celebrating in December and July and every day in between!

Whether you do it for a day or a week or all month long, Christmas in July is a great way to change up your days, add some excitement, and make fun memories with your family! I hope you give it a try sometime!

-Micah Q, Marketing Manager