Community Chat

[ciao_bella]

I recently read the history behind Christmas in July and thought I would post it for those interested. I found it interesting as I had not known how, when or where it's origin began.   If you are not interested, please, no drama, just move on to another thread. 

The very first Christmas in July was celebrated at Keystone Camp in Brevard, North Carolina. During the summer of 1933, the all-girls summer camp held a Christmas in July weekend celebration complete with carolers, a Christmas tree, fake snow, a gift exchange, and even a surprise visit from Santa Claus himself. The camp continued the tradition each year and slowly the tradition began to take off in the South—and eventually spread around the country.

"I never thought it was unique to us," Page Ives Lemel, the current director of Keystone Camp, said in an interview. "It seems like something other camps would do." But not so. According to the camp's 100th anniversary celebration book, the first time anyone celebrated "Christmas in July" was at Keystone, per the request of camp co-founder Fannie Holt.

"Miss Fannie was such a character: a whimsical, dreaming, creative type who added all of this uniqueness to the program," says Lemel. "Most camps number the cabins to identify them. Here, we have Crabapple, Skylark, and Crow's Nest, for example. Instead of junior and senior campers we have Elves, Pixies, and Dryads."

The first Christmas in July included carolers, a Christmas Tree, Santa Claus, presents, and fake snow made of cotton. As the tradition evolved, campers would use laundry bags as makeshift stockings, which they placed outside their cabins to be filled with candy overnight. Eventually elves, reindeer, and Mrs. Claus joined the act, along with a camp-wide gift exchange, counselors included. Lemel, who is the fourth generation in her family to hold the title of director, said the gifts were crafty and creative. "One time my dad got a bejeweled toilet plunger decorated with feathers and glitter," she said in the interview.

The tradition carries on today, and blistering-hot Southern summers have yet to stop the camp's tradition—now they simply go for a dip in the lake post-presents. To bring a little Christmas in July spirit home.  

[Imaoldhippie]

I must admit I had to idea and am surprised.  I always figured it was "invented" by retailers to boost sales.

Very interesting thank you for posting.

[Cakers3]

@ciao_bella   Thank you-I have never heard about this and it is a fun tradition.

No easy pay, no Bethlehem lights. no Jim Shore, no Valerie Parr Hill, etc. etc. etc.  No commericialized selling.  No whining about the Q.  LOL

Just some light-hearted fun to break up the summer heat.

[mspatmac]

@ciao_bella 

Very interesting, thanks for posting.  Back in the day at the marina in New Jersey where we docked our boat we had Christmas in July.  it was fun.

[ciao_bella]

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@mspatmac wrote:

@ciao_bella 

Very interesting, thanks for posting.  Back in the day at the marina in New Jersey where we docked our boat we had Christmas in July.  it was fun.

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@mspatmac I too am from NJ and my husband and I, years ago, also had a boat docked at the marina in Forked River.  We always enjoyed the Christmas in July Parade of Lights; boats ornately decorated and sometimes themed riding up and down the river in the evening.  It was a lot of fun.  Perhaps we were neighbors at the time! 

[on the bay]

@ciao_bella,

 thanks for posting it!.

I was glad to read this as I never even thought about where this tradition came from. 

It's a sweet story and I bet the cabin and camper names also became a tradition amoungst many camps and youth clubs.

[blueroses47]

I didn't know anything about the tradition of Christmas in July, or when it began, but I do have a memory of being a little girl, maybe 8 or 9, and Avon had a perfume, a fragrance called "Christmas in July".

I had never heard the expression before, but even to this day (and I'm 75 now) when I hear the phrase "Christmas in July", my mind takes me back to that time, and that perfume bottle.

[chrystaltree]

That's one place but I'm sure other areas of the country and businesses have their own stories.  It was big when I was a kid, all the stores did CIJ decorations and our church had a big Christmas dinner, with all the trimmings.  My brothers told me they had CIJ at their summer camps.   It's almost non existent now.  Perhaps because businesses go into Christmas mode the day after  Labor Day.  

[lilipearlE]

Interesting! Thanks @ciao_bella !