Who says you have to wait until December to enjoy a little Christmas magic? One of our family’s favorite summer traditions is celebrating Christmas in July, and it’s become something my kids look forward to every year.
It’s the perfect excuse to slow down, make memories, and enjoy some of our favorite Christmas traditions (without the hustle and bustle of the holiday season).
The best part? You can make it as simple or as elaborate as you’d like!
Why We Love Christmas in July
December can be busy with school programs, parties, shopping, and endless to-do lists. Celebrating in July lets us enjoy all the fun parts of Christmas without any of the stress. We get quality family time, delicious food, and a little holiday magic right in the middle of summer.
Our Christmas in July Traditions
- Set Up a Mini Christmas Tree: The first thing we do is pull out a small Christmas tree and decorate it together. It instantly sets the mood and makes the whole house feel festive. If you have a few favorite ornaments or twinkle lights, even better!
- Plan a Sibling Gift Exchange: A few days before our celebration, we draw names so each child has one sibling to shop for. They love picking out a thoughtful gift, wrapping it themselves, and keeping it a surprise until gift exchange time. It keeps things simple, affordable, and teaches them the joy of giving.
- Play Christmas Music All Day: Once the tree is up, the Christmas playlist goes on! Whether we’re wrapping gifts, relaxing by the pool, or getting dinner ready, Christmas music plays all day long and instantly brings the holiday spirit.
- Make Christmas Morning for Dinner: One of our favorite family traditions is having breakfast for dinner. Every Christmas morning we make our French Toast Bake with Buttermilk Syrup, so we recreate that same meal for our Christmas in July celebration. It’s comforting, easy, and everyone gets excited when they smell it baking.
- Dress for the Occasion: After dinner, everyone changes into Christmas pajamas or their favorite ugly Christmas sweater. It’s silly, festive, and makes the whole evening feel even more special.
- Exchange Gifts: Next comes one of the highlights of the day—our sibling gift exchange! Watching the kids give thoughtful gifts to one another has become one of my favorite parts of this tradition.
- Watch a Christmas Movie: No Christmas celebration is complete without a holiday movie. We pile onto the couch with blankets, dim the lights, and enjoy one of our family favorites. Some classics include:
- The Polar Express
- Home Alone
- The Santa Clause
- It’s a Wonderful Life
- Klaus
- Elf
- End with Frozen Hot Chocolate: Since it’s the middle of summer, we skip the traditional Hot Cocoa and make Frozen Hot Chocolate instead. It’s cold, chocolatey, festive, and the perfect ending to a Christmas celebration on a warm July evening.
Our Favorite Christmas in July Recipes
We change up the recipes we make each year for dinner, but for the last few years we’ve made it “brinner” (breakfast for dinner) and always do our favorite Christmas morning tradition of French Toast Bake. We have a few others we love as well, so we will share those along with some of our favorite cold, festive treats and snacks we make for the movie night.
1 French Toast Casserole Recipe
2 Christmas Pancakes
3 Buttermilk Syrup Recipe
4 Christmas Morning Casserole
5 Christmas Snack Mix
6 Christmas Popcorn Recipe
7 Frozen Hot Chocolate Recipe
8 Peppermint Chocolate Delight Recipe
Make It Your Own
The best part about Christmas in July is that there are no rules. Keep your favorite family traditions, start a few new ones, and enjoy spending intentional time together. Whether you celebrate with matching pajamas, a movie marathon, a gift exchange, or simply your favorite Christmas breakfast for dinner, it’s a fun way to create memories your family will treasure year after year.
If you’re looking for a unique family tradition to add to your summer bucket list, give Christmas in July a try. It just might become one of your family’s favorite days of the year!
