Illustration: Joanne Joo/The Guardian View image in fullscreen Illustration: Joanne Joo/The Guardian The Filter US Life and style Santa in shorts? How Christmas in July became a weird, whimsical summer tradition More people celebrate the made-up holiday than you’d expect, from ‘favorite things’ parties to watching Hallmark Channel’s Christmas programming
The smartest time to do holiday shopping is in July. Here are the best, earliest deals
Sign up for the Filter US newsletter, your weekly guide to buying fewer, better things
Lauren Gould Sat 25 Jul 2026 16.15 CEST Share Prefer the Guardian on Google The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more .
Christmas is here – and it’s five months ahead of schedule.
The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more .
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 inc…