Courtesy of Ashley Archambault
- Five years ago, I decided to celebrate Christmas in July for my son.It brightened our spirits, and we've done it every year since. In many ways, it's more relaxing than the real holiday.
To cheer my son up at the onset of the pandemic, I decided to celebrate Christmas in July. I had always thought of doing this, but this was the first time it seemed like something my son and I truly needed. So, that July, I chose a random day and began planning.
I told my son the plan, and that pretending it's Christmas during the summer is just a fun thing to do when you can't wait a whole year for the holidays. This explained why he wouldn't be seeing Santa, and why we'd be the only ones he knew celebrating it — it was something special, just for us.
I planned for a miniature version of the real holiday
Together, we put out a quarter of our usual decorations, including a small tree and stockings. I ordered a couple of small gifts and wrapped them up when they arrived. When I told a friend of mine what we were doing, she said, "Oh, so you're really doing Christmas." That's how I wanted it to feel — like a taste of the real thing.
On the day before, we acted like it was Christmas Eve. While listening to Christmas carols, we made the same holiday-shaped cutout cookies we normally make in December for Santa. But instead of leaving them by the stockings, we ate Santa's cookies on the couch with milk before reading 'Twas the Night Before Christmas.
After I tucked him in and stuffed his stocking, I watched a corny holiday romcom to get in the spirit. I was surprised by how much I was buying into the whole Christmas in July idea and realized just how much it was brightening my spirits as well.
Courtesy of Ashley Archambault
We formed a new tradition rooted in togetherness
The next morning, my son had to wait for me to make coffee before he could open his presents. Seeing how excited he was when he opened his gifts made the whole idea of celebrating Christmas in July worth it. Next, we made our Christmas pancakes for breakfast and spent the rest of the day watching our favorite holiday movies. We left our decorations out for about a week, to enjoy the Christmas mood for a while.
It was so successful that the next summer my son asked if we could do it again, and I thought, "Why not?" By then, I was engaged, and my fiancé was thankfully willing to be a part of the tradition. It's stuck around, and every year, we choose a day in July to celebrate. It doesn't have to be the 25th, just any day we can totally block off for our festivities, which include making cookies, exchanging one or two small gifts, making pancakes for breakfast, and having a Christmas movie marathon.
Courtesy of Ashley Archambault
Our July Christmas is so much more relaxing than the real thing
My son gets so excited about our mini Christmas that when it's coming up, he tells whoever he sees about our plans. The reactions range from mild confusion to thinking it sounds sweet. In many ways, I've come to prefer our summer Christmas over the true holiday. Our tradition is less about the gifts and more about enjoying the time together. We also don't have to worry about the social obligations and packed schedule that often come with the holiday season.
It's relaxing to just be lazy and enjoy a snapshot of Christmas halfway through the year. There's no pressure from the outside world to show up anywhere. It's just us in our little bubble, experiencing something simple yet no less magical. Our Christmas in July tradition helps us slow down and reconnect before it's time for back-to-school and the truly fast-paced holiday season that follows.
