Saturday, July 2, 2011

Merry Half-Christmas!


Well, hi there. Great to see you. What’cha been up to? Fill your mug, choose a delightfully decadent treat from the top shelf and bring them over to the table. I saved your place.  I was just reading that in many western countries, July has few marketing opportunities, so to justify sales, shops will sometimes announce a "Christmas in July" sale. Christmas and December are generally equated with colder temperatures and the average temperatures in July are higher than those in June, thus the name Christmas in July is appropriate.

In some parts of Australia, where Christmas falls in the summer and July is the one of the coldest months, Christmas in July parties are held to mimic the traditional northern Christmas. Some traditional Christmas activities are difficult to have in the December summertime (such as a heavy meal with roasted meats and heavy sweets like plum pudding), so these may be held in July instead. In Australia this celebration is also called "Half-Christmas."

Over the years many Australian families and organizations have opted to have an addition Christmas dinner in July celebration, in the middle of winter when it's nice and cool and great for tucking in to a sumptuous big feast. This Christmas tradition is so well entrenched in Australia that most restaurants, clubs and dining halls, have an official advertised annual catered menu for Christmas in July, and are often booked in advance.
It's always a great excuse for work teams to get together and party, and at a time when they don't have to battle to reserve a table and pay premium prices.

It is the Australian snowfields however, where Christmas in July traditions really come into their own. July being the peak season for the snowfields they all have special events connected with their Christmas in July celebrations. The main Australian snowfields resorts are at; Thredbo, Perisher Blue, Mt. Buller, Charlotte Pass, Mt Selwyn, Falls Creek, Hotham, Baw Baw, Mt. Buffalo, Ben Lomond TAS and Corin Forest ACT. Of course all of the young revelers love to build a snowman when they are in the snowfields, Santa skiing on the slopes is a quite a treat and, since everyone that is there, is on holidays, the nights are full of dining and cheer and merriment, so it is a perfect scene for Christmas in July celebrations. Many families make the brief excursion to the Australian snowfields just for the Christmas in July celebrations.

McMurdo Station in Antarctica celebrates Christmas in July, as well as in December. Its origins there appear to be how deliveries were made. July is in the middle of winter in Antarctica; high winds and ice once made it too dangerous for planes to land with supplies. Instead, planes parachuted deliveries (such as food and mail) to the ice; the sudden arrival in July of presents from the sky reminded some people of a "visit from Santa."

In the United States it is more often used as a marketing tool than as an actual holiday celebrated by ordinary people. Television stations may choose to re-run Christmas specials, and many stores have "Christmas in July" sales. Still, some individuals do choose to celebrate the time themselves, typically as an intentionally transparent excuse to have a party.

Christmas in Copenhagen starts as early as in July. On the 24th of July exactly five months before the day the World Santa Claus Congress takes place at Bakken, Copenhagen This is besides Christmas itself - the most important event for the Father Christmases of the world, and the only time when they can meet. This year app. 100 Santas from 10 different countries participated. Important issues as better rooftop parking conditions and stronger ropes for roof-elves are discussed during the 4-day congress.

See Ya…Ho! Ho! Ho…eh!

Bob

0 comments: