What is Christmas in July?

Why?  Because December is generally the hottest time of the year.

They still celebrate Christmas on the 25th of December but have a second or 'midwinter' Christmas in the colder months when it feels more wintery.

I lived in Australia for several years.

While it is certainly a novelty to go to the beach on Christmas Day, you miss out on some of the best bits of Christmas; celebrating in a warm house on a cold day; Christmas jumpers; mulled wine; perhaps an open fire and although there is never any guarantee, snow!

Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina, and Brazil all celebrate Christmas in July, to some extent. 

Although not in the Southern Hemisphere, the United States is also a big proponent of Christmas in July.

The tradition is said to have started there in the 1930s, gaining momentum throughout the 1950s.

And support is increasing in the UK too.

We're not short of wintery weather in December, the irony being it can be almost as cold in July!

How many people genuinely celebrate Christmas in July is debatable.

Cynics would argue it is nothing more than a marketing tool today rather than an actual holiday; Another so-called Hallmark holiday.

As is the case in the United States, it tends to be an advertising tool for businesses to promote what they will have for sale later in the year and sell discounted stock from the year before.

However, it is an excellent opportunity to get organized as a consumer, especially if you are on a budget.

After the last few years we've all had, perhaps Christmas in July will take off in the UK this year.

Do you celebrate Christmas in July? And if so, how?