Christmas in July. This term might be weird in Hungary, but a summer Christmas feast is a tradition in the Anglo-Saxon countries.
It was first arranged in 1933 in a summer camp for kids. Then it was thought to be a very good idea in more and more places after the Christmas in July movie in 1940. Remembering winter helps making the heat more bearable. In summertime, there is no major national or religious feast (after 4th of July), so this could provide a reason for parties and gifts-giving. Shops, caritative associations, the post office and the media picked up the feast: sales of the leftover Christmas decorations are held, postcards are made for the event, Christmas movies are on TV.
Of course, this period of the year doesn’t get so much attention than the real Christmas preparation in December. Decoration is more modest also and shows its funny and creative side. The focus is on parties, mostly outdoor. Mainly Christmas lights get roles but faux Christmas trees are frequently decorated also. The seaside theme can replace the classical Santa Claus-snowman variation. Red-white-green colors are still used but in a much smarter way (for example summer fruits and colorful cocktails). However, because of the summer time, turquoise-white-sand color combination is determining too. Wrapping – and opening – gifts is still an exciting task.
Be brave and let’s celebrate Christmas in July here also, softening a bit the summer heat with it. Ask for help of an interior designer for creative decoration.
