Winter has truly come in the Southern Hemisphere, and temperatures are dropping in Australia. It’s a time for battening down the hatches, hot water bottles, Oodies, heated blankets, mulled wine and more. And what better way to foster a sense of winter cheer than throwing an Aussie Christmas in July bash?
This article will share our tips for hosting a successful Aussie Christmas in July, from ideas for dishes to decorations to setting the perfect ambience and more.
Why Throw Christmas in July?
There are a few reasons you might consider hosting Christmas in July. For one, our Christmas is usually in the peak of summer. It’s not unusual to host Christmas on a 35-40-degree day. This means that the ambience, vibe and food spread are all usually Summery – cold drinks, cold cuts, water fights and slip and slides.
By hosting Christmas in July, the chilly winter ambience, like a Northern Hemisphere Christmas, makes for a more contextually relevant Christmas celebration.
Aussies celebrating get to enjoy two Christmas events and can have all the winter trimmings, such as mulled wine, comfort food, and all the warm things that feel truly out of place during a sweltering Australian summer.
The Origins of Christmas in July
Back in 1980, some Irish tourists in the Blue Mountains region of Australia started Christmas in July in order to recreate their winter festivities that they had back home. Local businesses quickly adopted this concept and began hosting themed Christmas events with special offers to add more cheer. The tradition took off, and more and more people around the country are now celebrating this event.
How to Best Prepare for Christmas in July
The next section of this helpful article will share our top preparation tips for a successful Christmas in July bash down under.
Decorations
You’ll want to obtain some Christmas decorations for your event. If you have some stored away, perfect! All you need to do is deck the halls.
However, if you don’t usually host Christmas, or your decorations are a touch worn and scrappy, you should consider buying some new ones. If you’re looking to get the best deals to deck your halls with festive and wintery Christmas cheer, your local gift shop is likely to have stocked up on a selection of festive decorations from Christmas wholesale suppliers in Australia, helping them keep their prices low.
Traditional Christmas decorations such as mistletoe, spray snow stencils on the windows and a Christmas tree glittering with ornaments and lights will all feel so much more wintery and festive in the depths of winter when you want to feel warm, pleasant and cosy.
The Spread
What would a Christmas in July be without a delectable spread for an unforgettable luncheon or dinner? Now is your chance to cook, prepare or buy all that warm and delicious comfort food that makes no sense to eat in the peak of summer.
You might do a roast dinner, such as pork, lamb or chicken. Serve this with some gravy, and don’t forget Paul Kelly’s top gravy-making tip: add a dollop of tomato sauce for sweetness and that extra tang.
Your sides can be warm, tasty foods such as roast potatoes, carrots or other vegetables. Roasted garlic cloves go a treat with a roast, and some cauliflower au gratin will be deliciously cheesy and warming.
A Christmas ham might also be a great idea, but you can also go with some unconventional winter warming dishes such as curries, tagines, slow-cooked meals and even a spicy stir fry.
When it comes to drinks, you can’t go wrong with spicy, warm beverages such as mulled spiced wine or even masala chai, using a traditional recipe.
For dessert, Aussie Christmas in summer usually sees classics like the pavlova hit the table, a delicious cold dessert dish. However, you might want to consider some more wintery desserts, such as warm apple or berry pies, sticky date pudding, or Christmas pudding served with dollops of thick cream for a truly indulgent sweet treat after lunch or dinner.
Wholesome Family Activities for Christmas in July
Christmas is a time to bond with your family and loved ones, and Christmas in July is no exception to this. Here are our tips for some family bonding activities you can enjoy in winter.
Make Decorations Together
You can make some Christmas decorations with the kids or friends, such as homemade Christmas tree ornaments and paper doll chains, or even decorate an edible gingerbread house. A Christmas crafternoon in preparation for your event is an excellent chance to connect over some creativity with your family.
Play a Board Game
The perfect winter activity is playing a fun board game with your family and friends. Modern board games have come a long way since Monopoly and Trouble, with literally thousands of games on the market. From themes such as pandemic response, dungeon crawls, cute dragons, ghost fighting, sushi, western and more, you’re sure to find an enjoyable board game that you can bond over, whether it’s cooperative or competitive.
Watch Christmas Movies
What would be a Christmas without a family movie night? You can put on the Christmas classics such as The Muppet Christmas Carol, Elf, The Santa Clause, The Nightmare Before Christmas and The Polar Express. Put on the microwave popcorn, make some hot chocolate and snuggle in for a movie night.
Ugly Sweater Contest
A great Christmas in July activity is an ugly sweater contest. Let your guests know to wear their ugliest, most cringeworthy sweater for the event, and hand out some prizes to the person with the ugliest Christmas sweater.
A Secret Santa
A Secret Santa gift exchange is a wonderful way to bond with your Christmas-in-July guests. Everyone will get a surprise gift, and you can get dad or grandpa to dress up as Santa to pass out the presents, which the kids will love.
Christmas Trivia
You can host a Christmas trivia game during your Christmas in July event, with prizes for the winning team. You can easily find some excellent Christmas trivia questions online and should be able to cobble together a slide show with all the questions in it.
This article has shared all about winter cheer down under, and how you can throw a memorable Christmas in July event in Australia. We’ve included tips from festive decorations to the spread, to bonding activities you can enjoy with friends and family.
