Christmas in July has become one of the most fun and most underrated celebrations on the Australian calendar. The nights are long, it’s cold enough to appreciate a glowing tree and a roaring fire, and there’s something exciting about getting the decorations out when nobody’s expecting it. If you’ve been looking for a reason to celebrate this winter, here it is. Read on for everything you need to know about Christmas in July, from the history, to how to host, to decorating your home beautifully for the occasion.
What Is Christmas in July, and Where Did It Come From?
Christmas in July is exactly what it sounds like: a mid-winter celebration in Australia that borrows all the best bits of Christmas and moves them to July. Think festive decorations, a big hearty dinner, gift giving, and plenty of good cheer. It has no official status or set rules, which is honestly part of its appeal — you make of it what you want.
The origin story of Christmas in July is a good one. It starts in 1980, in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, where a group of Irish tourists asked a local guesthouse to help them recreate the kind of snowy, wintry Christmas they had back home. The guesthouse said yes, other guesthouses caught on, and the idea gradually worked its way down from the mountains and into the broader Australian tradition.
So why do people still celebrate Christmas in July in Australia? It’s a mix of enjoying a wintery Christmas in the Southern Hemisphere, a sense of nostalgia, and a great excuse for a proper winter feast, not to mention the simple fact that one Christmas a year genuinely isn’t enough. Mostly, it’s a wonderful reason to gather your favourite people, put the decorations up, and celebrate.
How to Celebrate Christmas in July in Australia
There’s no single right way to celebrate. Some people head to a Yulefest event in the Blue Mountains or a local restaurant running a special menu, while others keep it low-key at home with a few close friends and something slow-cooked in the oven. For those who love to celebrate Christmas in July with family, food and plenty of festive cheer, here are a few tips for getting it right.
1. Set the Scene Before the First Guest Arrives
Lights on, candles lit, something warm ready to hand people at the door. Mulled wine is the classic for good reason, but a spiced apple cider works beautifully if you’re catering to everyone. The mood a home sets in those first five minutes is hard to shift once it’s established, so it’s absolutely worth getting right.
And of course, the decorations should be up and looking their best!
2. The Food
Winter cooking is a completely different experience, and Christmas in July is one of the best excuses to really go for it. A slow-braised lamb shoulder that’s been in the oven since noon, a proper beef roast with all the trimmings, a Christmas pudding that everyone actually wants because it’s cold enough to appreciate it. Take the time with the food. It’s one of the main events.
3. Kris Kringle
Draw names a week or two ahead, set a budget everyone’s comfortable with, and build the gift exchange into the evening rather than treating it as an afterthought. It adds a lovely thread of anticipation throughout the whole dinner and takes the awkwardness out of gift-giving. Stuck for ideas? Browse our Kris Kringle gift range for a great place to start.
4. Games and Activities
A little structure goes a long way, especially with a mixed age group. A few crowd-pleasers worth having up your sleeve include:
- Christmas trivia – takes about two minutes to find online and always lands well.
- White Elephant gift swap – everyone brings a wrapped mystery gift to trade and steal. Chaotic in the best possible way.
- Christmas movie vote – a great way to wind the evening down. The classics hold up. Nobody has ever been disappointed by a well-timed screening of Elf.
Christmas in July Decorating Ideas
Christmas in July is a brilliant opportunity to try a completely different look to your usual December setup. The winter setting opens up colour palettes and styles that feel especially at home when it’s cold and dark outside, and it’s worth having a clear direction before you start pulling boxes out of storage. Here’s how to put it all together.
Start with the Tree
The Christmas tree is the centrepiece of Christmas in July, so choose one that suits the season. A flocked or frosted tree is the standout choice for July, because snow-dusted branches look completely at home against a cold winter night and do most of the decorating work just by being there. If you prefer something more classic, a full green artificial Christmas tree dressed with warm-white lights and rich-coloured baubles is just as beautiful. And for the most effortless setup, a pre-lit Christmas tree means no untangling lights. Just pull it out, fluff the branches, and you’re done.
Pick Your Colour Palette
It’s worth settling on a direction before you start decorating. Here are three looks that work beautifully for Christmas in July:
- Winter Wonderland – whites, silvers and icy blues, paired with a frosted tree and cool-white fairy lights. The most distinctly wintery of the three.
- Classic Traditional – deep reds, greens and warm gold. Rich, familiar and hard to fault on a cold July evening.
- Cosy Scandinavian – natural textures, warm whites and soft candlelight. Minimalist, calm and surprisingly impactful.
Decorate the Tree and Beyond
Starting at the front door, a wreath sets the scene before guests even come inside. On the tree itself, baubles and ornaments do the heavy lifting, while Christmas flowers and picks tucked between branches add texture, and a tree topper and skirt finish the whole thing off properly. Beyond that, a lantern on the hearth, ribbon on the mantle, and candles grouped on a side table are small touches that, together, make a big difference in how the whole space feels.
Don’t Forget the Dining Table
The dining table is where everyone comes together for Christmas in July, so give it some love. A few table ornaments down the centre with taper candles (non-negotiable, honestly) and Christmas bonbons at every place setting is really all it takes, and a simple table runner in your colour scheme pulls the whole thing together without much effort at all.
Be Creative with Lighting
Lighting is the thing most people underdo, and it makes a bigger difference than almost anything else. Fairy lights work almost anywhere in the home, wound up a staircase banister, draped along a windowsill, or sitting in a glass vase on the kitchen bench. July evenings get dark fast, and a home that’s warmly lit feels alive and festive. Be creative with Christmas lights, and try including lanterns, LED motifs, and more.
Bring It All Together
Put these ideas together and your home will feel properly festive long before the first guest arrives. Christmas in July is an occasion that rewards a little effort, and with the right decorations, the atmosphere takes care of itself. It’s also a great chance to road-test your decorating style ahead of December, so when the real Christmas rolls around, you’ve already nailed it.
Get Your Christmas in July Decorations Sorted
If you want this year’s Christmas in July to feel like a real occasion, it starts with the decorations. Browse the full range of artificial Christmas trees, including the frosted and flocked range that suits the winter aesthetic so well, and find everything you need in our Christmas decorations and Christmas lights collections to finish the look.
Too busy to decorate yourself? Let us take the work off your hands by booking our end-to-end home Christmas hire and installation service.
From all of us at Unreal Christmas Trees, have a very merry Christmas in July!
