Santa in shorts? How Christmas in July became a weird, whimsical summer tradition

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Christmas is here – and it’s five months ahead of schedule.

While some Americans long for summer year-round, others reserve the end of July for getting into the holiday spirit, swapping barbecues for binge-watching the Hallmark Channel.

Christmas in July is a made-up holiday, but more people celebrate it across the US than you may expect. A town in North Carolina holds a days-long annual festival dating back to 1987. In the midwest, a tiny Illinois town is hosting a pool party and a scenic Michigan campground is celebrating with a meet-and-greet with Santa. And on the east coast, a New Jersey boardwalk is going all out with holiday movies on the beach and something called “elf storytime”. Celebrations peak on 25 July, though many also take place all month.

“It’s something I look forward to every single year. It’s a way to get excited, for me to open the door, to finally start talking about Christmas,” said Lance Devereux, a professional holiday decorator.

For him, it’s the perfect excuse to start bringing out holiday decor. “It can be like the smallest thing. It may be a pillow. It may be one of the Christmas blankets. It may be like, the Christmas salt and pepper shakers,” Devereux said.

Some folks host their own themed parties. Tierney Robb, a content creator who shares hosting tips and recipe ideas, recently threw a Christmas in July “favorite things” bash – where people gift one of their most-loved items – complete with an iced cocoa bar and graham crackers for guests to build their beach houses. “I already host a party every month for my girlfriends, and I love the idea of a “favorite things” party, but doing it in December is madness,” said Robb.

“You get the same joy with none of the financial hangover during the holidays,” she continued.

Others tune into the Hallmark Channel’s iconic Christmas in July programming, which runs from 26 June to 31 July. This year, its daily lineup includes the channel’s classics as well as new movies such as Christmas Under Construction (which follows the romance between a cabin owner and the reality star renovating it for her show).

“Christmas in July is a beloved summer tradition for Hallmark Channel viewers. The event reflects our fans’ desire for holiday programming throughout the year,” said Michelle Vicary, head of programming at Hallmark Media.

Some viewers make a cozy movie night out of it. “Bring out the hot cocoa, turn the thermostat down really low,” Devereux said.

According to some research, the first documented Christmas in July celebration occurred in 1933 at an all-girls summer camp in North Carolina. The holiday included carolers, a Christmas tree and cotton snow.

Over the years, as with most things in America, the quasi-holiday became tied to capitalism. Mentions of Christmas in July continued in films and advertisements. “Why buy a fall suit – or topcoat – in July? Because you can SAVE PLENTY OF DOLLARS by simply buying before the fall season is in!” reads a newspaper ad from 1949.

During the second world war, the army even asked its troops stationed overseas to “observe Christmas in July if they want to send gifts home” in time for December, as one newspaper reported. The Army Exchange, the military’s official retail network, sent holiday catalogs for soldiers to purchase presents for their families months in advance.

Today, many retailers mark down holiday decor in July, including large chains like Walmart and Pottery Barn. Last year, the New York Times reported that more people are shopping for gifts in July due to inflation and a higher cost of living, taking advantage of summer deals like Prime Day. Shoppers are reportedly feeling the squeeze this year as well.

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“I think a lot of Christmas was driven by the media and then commerce picking up on it. And so I’m looking at all the houses on this street, and I bet you there’s not one that is celebrating Christmas in July. But what we’ll see are sales and businesses promoting the idea,” said Dr Penne Restad, the author of Christmas in America and a professor at the University of Austin, Texas.

But it’s not all late-stage capitalism. For many, getting into the holiday spirit simply feels magical whatever the time of year. “It’s hot. There’s nothing going on. It’s like the dog days of summer are setting in,” Restad said. “So let’s do something, you know, whimsical.”