{"id":884,"date":"2022-06-28T15:53:59","date_gmt":"2022-06-28T05:53:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gathar.com.au\/blog\/?p=884"},"modified":"2023-07-24T14:45:32","modified_gmt":"2023-07-24T04:45:32","slug":"christmas-in-july-ideas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gathar.com.au\/blog\/christmas-in-july-ideas\/","title":{"rendered":"Christmas in July Ideas: How to celebrate with all the trimmings"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you\u2019ve noticed a few festive sweaters being pulled out of the cupboard and have suddenly been invited to a Christmas-themed party, it\u2019s no coincidence. It\u2019s beginning to look a lot like Christmas\u2026 in July!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Christmas in July is gaining popularity each year here in Australia (and for some of our Southern Hemisphere friends) with more people choosing to embrace the chilly weather and host a mid-year Christmas-inspired ‘gatharing’. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hosting a Christmas in July dinner party or long lunch is the perfect excuse to lock in those long-overdue catch-ups with friends, get the family together at the tail-end of school holidays, or celebrate the end of the financial year with your team. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re thinking about making Christmas in July a \u2018thing\u2019 this year, here\u2019s how to do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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So, what is Christmas in July? Is it the same as Yuletide?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s get this one out of the way first: Christmas in July doesn\u2019t literally mean celebrating Christmas in July instead <\/em>of December. You can double the fun and do both!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What it does mean is embracing those classic, Christmassy feels associated with the Northern Hemisphere. In other words, using our mid-year winter to roll out some Yuletide traditions usually enjoyed by our friends in Europe and North America: cosy sweaters, hearty dinners, crackling fires\u2026 delicious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking of Yuletide, you may hear Christmas in July referred to as Yuletide or Yulefest in some parts of Australia that have adopted the idea with gusto, but most often it’s simply called Christmas in July.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Silly question but\u2026 when is Christmas In July?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This actually isn\u2019t a silly question! Six months before Christmas Day is June 25, so why do we celebrate in July? The simple answer is: the weather. July is peak winter, when even the warmest reaches of our sunburnt land get a bit of reprieve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the thought of celebrating a \u2018proper\u2019 Christmas with all the wintry trimmings appeals, the most logical date to celebrate is July 25. That said, there\u2019s no \u2018official\u2019 date for Christmas in July so the choice is really up to you and what date works for your group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How did Christmas in July get started? Is it just an Aussie thing?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The origin story behind Christmas in July is a little sketchy on the details. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first known mention \u2018Christmas in July\u2019 can be traced back to an 1892 opera, Werther, <\/em>based on the novel The Sorrows of Young Werther <\/em>by the German poet and playwright Goethe, where the phrase is uttered: \u201cWhen you sing Christmas in July, you rush the season.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But how do we get from here to eating trifle in the middle of the year in Australia? Jump forward to 1933 in North Carolina, where a group of girls at Keystone Camp decided to turn July 24 and 25 into an all-out Christmas celebration, complete with cotton-ball snow, a tree loaded up with gifts underneath, and even an appearance from the big man in red.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s hit fast-forward one more time to July 1980 in the Blue Mountains where, rumour has it, a group of Irish tourists convinced one of the local publicans to celebrate Yulefest due to the wintry weather and the idea stuck. However it got started, we\u2019re just glad it did! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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HOW TO CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS IN JULY: A GUIDE<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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Choose your Christmas In July food<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What’s on the menu?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u2018tis the season to bring out all your favourite holiday fare, including delicious dishes you may not usually indulge in at Christmas (nobody wants to sweat through a three-course roast lunch in the middle of December). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether you\u2019re planning a Christmas in July lunch or dinner, a classic roast pork or roast turkey with all the seasonal sides never fails (think loaded mashed or roasted potatoes, glazed carrots, peas or beans with bacon\u2026) It goes without saying, it\u2019s not a Christmas party without a show-stopping dessert<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some of our top Christmas in July menu ideas, borrowed from our favourite festive menus our chefs have created over the years. Of course, you can always leave it in the hands of the pros and book a Gathar private chef<\/a> to take care of your Christmas in July catering! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Wintry Entrees<\/h3>\n\n\n\n