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Christmas in July

Celebrating Christmas in July on July 25th is a fun tradition that our family has started. It is a day to be silly, and also a time to get a head start on some Christmas planning and projects. There are lots of ways to celebrate Christmas in July!

Getting Ready for Christmas in July

Make it Feel Like Christmas in July 

• plug in a couple of strands of Christmas lights and set up a small tree
• play some Christmas cds or find a Christmas channel on Pandora
• set up a nativity scene
• use red & green paper plates & napkins – you can get these at the dollar store (when planning ahead for next July, grab some in the after-Christmas clearance sale and tuck them away in a cabinet)
• turn down the thermostat for some arctic air
• play a crackling fireplace dvd ( Amazon Prime members can watch for free)

Christmas in July Food

We bake hundreds of cookies every Christmas using my mom’s famous gingersnap recipe, so this year I am going to send several dozen to work with my husband on July 25th to surprise his employees. The recipe is top-secret so I can’t share it with you, but this chewy molasses spice cookie would be a close substitute.

We have festive party food for dinner. Here is what I’m thinking about doing this year:

• mini sausage wreath
• cheese, cracker, & sausage Christmas tree
• strawberry Santas
• root beer reindeer

These would also be fun:

• string cheese snowmen
• snowman ice cream shooters

Sometimes I try out a recipe that I might have pinned that I’m not sure I want to add to our Christmas menu. We have all of our tried-and-true favorites to cram into December, so who wants to waste calories on a recipe that might not be a hit? Breakfast casseroles fall into this category – don’t want to experiment on Christmas morning!

Christmas in July Activities

Watch a Christmas movie, play a game, or do a craft that you can pull out again at Christmas as decor. Are you homeschooling? Do a Christmas unit study. We live near the beach, so we might go build a sand snowman and make sand angels.

Some of our favorite Christmas movies

• Elf
• Home Alone
• The Nativity Story
• The Santa Clause
• The Star of Bethlehem
• A Charlie Brown Christmas
• Disney’s Very Merry Christmas Songs
• How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Festive Christmas Crafts

• sparkly Christmas star garland
• paper snowflake templates – keep these folded & store away in a baggie to make a winter wonderland
• printable nativity scenes

Christmas Activities

• read about the birth of Christ from the Bible
• Christmas mad libs
• Christmas Activity & Coloring Pages
• Christmas Lego Projects
• read free Christmas Kindle eBooks

Start Planning for Christmas

Take some time to think about getting off the Crazy Christmas wagon. Christmas is a season of joy and peace. A time to celebrate a Savior. Make it meaningful this year. Choose your activities carefully this December. If something doesn’t fit your goal of a meaningful & peaceful Christmas, take it off the list if it is in your control to do so.

A few ideas:

• set up your Christmas planner
• have your family fill out a Christmas tradition worksheet 
• make Christmas cards
• take a casual family photo for your cards
• start on a few homemade gifts
• make an advent calendar or a Jesse Tree
• print out a Christmas wish list for your kid
• it’s not too late to save some money for Christmas

Do you celebrate Christmas in July? How?

This post is part of my Homeschooling Christmas in July series.

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