04 July 2012

Celebrating Christmas in July

Or as it is sometimes referred to, “Middle-mas”

Christmas in July is becoming more and more popular, particularly in the Southern Hemisphere. In many places it has become a month-long celebration.

Although the origins and reasons for this celebration are not clear, a simple observation is that it probably came about because of, believe it or not, the food and the weather!

Christmas traditional fare consists of hearty hot meals, sitting alongside crackling log fires and eating roasted nuts with gentle snow falling outside. Well, in the Southern Hemisphere this absolutely doesn’t happen! In many countries down South, the weather is so hot in December that the thought of spending any time in the kitchen over a hot stove, and then sitting down to eat a hearty meal is a complete turn-off.

Many people have moved away from the old tradition and a new one is emerging with many delicious, cooler alternatives such as cold turkey and salad becoming the norm.
However, there is still nothing better than a real traditional Christmas dinner. And so the idea of preparing the dinner at the time of the cooler weather was born. This isn’t really a bad idea, as it is a good way to raise the spirits in the middle of winter when everyone’s feeling dull and gloomy. Good festive cheer is a good way to brighten the winter season and warm the heart.


Speaking of which, many people in the Northern Hemisphere have also begun this relatively new tradition as it is a great way to break up the year and rekindle the high spirits associated with Christmas cheer.

I actually know of a few people who celebrate Christmas in July particularly for exchanging gifts. We all know how expensive the December festive season can be. These people exchange very small token gifts in December and save the big spend for July, when all other expenses are at a minimum.

One thing to remember though is that Jesus is still the ultimate reason for celebrating Christmas. So, when you’re stuffing the turkey, and then later your face, give Him a thought amid your festivities. Christmas may be the time we celebrate Jesus’ birth, but any day is a good time to celebrate Him and to be thankful for the ultimate sacrifice He made for us.