
Places where Christmas in July is Celebrated as a popular event.
In many western countries, July
has few marketing opportunities, so to justify sales, shops will
sometimes announce a "Christmas in July" sale. Christmas
and December are generally equated with colder temperatures and
the average temperatures in July are higher than those in June,
thus the name Christmas in July is appropriate.
In some parts of Australia, where
Christmas falls in the summer and July is the one of the coldest
months, Christmas in July parties are held to mimic the traditional
northern Christmas. Some traditional Christmas activities are difficult
to have in the December summertime (such as a heavy meal with roasted
meats and heavy sweets like plum pudding), so these may be held
in July instead. In Australia this celebration is also called "Half-Christmas."
Over the years many Australian families and organizations have opted
to have an addition Christmas dinner in July celebration, in the
middle of winter when it's nice and cool and great for tucking in
to a sumptuous big feast. This Christmas tradition is so well entrenched
in Australia that most restaurants, clubs and dining halls, have
an official advertised annual catered menu for Christmas in July,
and are often booked in advance. It's always a great excuse for
work teams to get together and party, and at a time when they don't
have to battle to reserve a table and pay premium prices. It is
the Australian snowfields however, where Christmas in July traditions
really come into their own. July being the peak season for the snowfields
they all have special events connected with their Christmas in July
celebrations. The main Australian snowfields resorts are at; Thredbo,
Perisher Blue, Mt. Buller, Charlotte Pass, Mt Selwyn, Falls Creek,
Hotham, Baw Baw, Mt. Buffalo, Ben Lomond TAS and Corin Forest ACT. Of
course all of the young revelers love to build a snowman when they
are in the snowfields, Santa skiing on the slopes is a quite a treat
and, since everyone that is there, is on holidays, the nights are
full of dining and cheer and merriment, so it is a perfect scene
for Christmas in July celebrations. Many families make the brief
excursion to the Australian snowfields just for the Christmas in
July celebrations.
McMurdo Station in Antarctica celebrates Christmas in July, as well
as in December. Its origins there appear to be how deliveries were
made. July is in the middle of winter in Antarctica; high winds
and ice once made it too dangerous for planes to land with supplies.
Instead, planes parachuted deliveries (such as food and mail) to
the ice; the sudden arrival in July of presents from the sky reminded
some people of a "visit from Santa."
In the United States it is more often used as a marketing tool than
as an actual holiday celebrated by ordinary people. Television stations
may choose to re-run Christmas specials, and many stores have "Christmas
in July" sales. Still, some individuals do choose to celebrate
the time themselves, typically as an intentionally transparent excuse
to have a party.
Christmas in Copenhagen starts as
early as in July. On the 24th of July exactly five months before
the day the World Santa Claus Congress takes place at Bakken, Copenhagen
This is besides Christmas itself - the most important event for
the Father Christmases of the world, and the only time when they
can meet. This year app. 100 Santas from 10 different countries
participated. Important issues as better rooftop parking conditions
and stronger ropes for roof-elves are discussed during the 4-day
congress. |