Why I Hate Christmas in July
If anyone reads my travel blog then you would know that I am someone who questions everything.
With that questioning and discovering the world around me there were certain cultural traditions and festivals that I simply came to dislike and would be happy if they vanished off my cultural calendar.
Christmas being one of them
If I am going to celebrate something, then I want to celebrate it with enthusiasm and passion. This comes from believing in it. I don’t believe in Christmas.
For one, I am non-religious and two it is a celebration that is so focused on materialistic bullshit that it sends so many families broke from their need to buy buy buy and keep up with the Joneses.
Yes, I am the Grinch.
Before I dive any more into that rant, the only think I can think worse than that is Christmas in July.
I think maybe Australia is the only country that celebrates this. I had forgotten about it until lately when I see it popping up everywhere. And it leads me to scratch my head and shout WTF!!!
A snowy Christmas
Can’t we just be happy with having it once a year?
The message of it has already been butchered through out the years, why are we butchering it further just so we can experience Christmas in the winter time? That’s not how we do Christmas in OZ. That’s what makes it so unique Down Under.
It is a summer time thing for us.
It is summer time because apparently December was when Jesus was born. And isn’t this what Christmas should be about???? I’m not religious, but I still think Jesus was a dude, and had a very powerful message. I like him; I always have. And I just might embrace Christmas more if it really was about his message.
But having it in July??? Come on.
News flash Australia. It doesn’t snow here. You can’t build a snowmen and you’ll never have a White Christmas. You want one? Then go to Colorado for Christmas and experience in that way.
It’s the start of July and I’m sitting in a short sleeve T-shirt and the sun is beaming down at 20 degrees Celsius.
It just demonstrates to me how we are a society who just can’t accept things as they are and appreciate them. We have to go and change things to suit ourselves. We have to devalue everything. We are so lost in commercialism and materialism that we have forgotten what this 2000 year old tradition has been about.
Celebrating each other and reminding ourselves to live in joy and to be kind.
I’d rather try and do that every day, instead of buying endless gifts and stuffing myself so full of food that I have to be rolled out the door once a year, in order to be a kind Christian. And then once again just so I can do it in the winter time.
Please, start something new instead.
Comments
Lauren Fritsky
“I’m not religious, but I still think Jesus was a dude, and had a very powerful message. ” — This is awesome.
We have xmas in July in the States as well, but it is more focused on shopping sales, so it’s got that annoying commercial focus as well. For some reason, I don’t remember seeing a lot of Christmas in July stuff here in Sydney last year, but it is definitely in full force this year. We were away last weekend and the lodge we were at had a xmas in July night on Saturday with a three-course meal (of course, we had to ask for a special vegetarian version, since it was all meat!).
Caz
I didn’t know you had Christmas in July in the States!
It really seems to be everywhere this year. Once is enough for me. I didn’t know you were vegetarian- or did I and my baby brain is failing me again?
Megan @ Writing Out Loud
I agree that Christmas in July is an odd concept. I’d like to go o/s one year to have a cold Christmas (although they do still happen in Melbourne on occasion!!) but I don’t like the whole idea of creating a whole other occasion.
Caz
It’s great to experience a cold Christmas. I am yet to have a white Christmas. It happened this year in Raleigh, just as we weren’t there! Colorado is my dream white christmas destination. I would love to experience it in a cabin in the mountains with good food and nice wine, and none of the hype and materialism that comes with Christmas. Just good times.
Maria Tedeschi (Mrs M)
Yeah I don’t do Christmas in July either. I mean if it to feel like it is in the Northern Hemisphere well there is only a small part of Australia that gets snow anyway. And again the whole snow thing is buying into the marketing behind Christmas.
I am beginning to loathe the gift giving. I’m happy to buy gifts for my kids because they’re my kids but the gift giving to extended family and friends is getting ridiculous. I agree with you. Collectively I spend more on other people than I spend on my family and that is just plain wrong.
I like the idea of Christmas that we all get together and have a fabulous lunch and everyone leaves their crap at the door for a day.
Love & stuff
Mrs M
Caz
I really am beginning to loathe the gift giving too. I love buying Kalyra presents but I don’t want it to be too much, and she just gets too much. I don’t think it is necessary. You can have a great day and show your children unconditional love without their being a price tag to it. I think Craig and I spent so many Christmases overseas where it was just him and I. We didn’t do gift giving, we just made the day a special one. We loved that and are used to the idea of Christmas being like that. I get irritated now when it’s not and the focus in on things that don’t really matter.
kirri
Is it weird that I have never heard of christmas in July? Ever?
I love christmas…I loved it more living in Canada because I got to experience those childhood dreams of snow and ice-skating but I also love a xmas bbq by the pool.
I do however loathe the commercialism. We have a strict rule in our family – that Santa only brings one present, just one and anything else must be seen as icing on the cake. We also get the girls to give away a toy that they still enjoy to charity to make way for new stuff…the only problem is the Grandparents who like to go waaaayyy overboard.
PS – I totally dig Caz on her wee soap box 🙂
Caz
Have I had some things happen lately that can keep me on my soap box!! I try not to get on it as I know people can take things so personally and I’m tired of pissing people off because of this, but sometimes I just have to rant 🙂
I like your strict rule. We need to introduce that, but it is difficult to stick to that when you do have an extended family. You appreciate that they obviously want to buy your child gifts and I like that but I wish we could find a way to work together to reduce the amount
Alouise
Really interesting post. I didn’t realize Australia celebrates Christmas in July. I agree a lot of Christmas has become pretty commercialized. For me though Christmas is about family and food. I don’t think you need to spend a lot of money to celebrate that.
Caz
I agree. I much prefer Christmas to be just about family and food. And only once a year.
Torre
I hear you, I am also a grinch. Plus, I’m forever ashamed that us Aussies seem to have a slight identity crisis.
Caz
Never thought about it in terms of identity crisis, but you are definitely right and it sure fits the bill here. Let’s just embrace the fact that we can be unique and have a summer Christmas. Enjoy being different
bill
i should tell my boss i’m not coming into work on the 25th because it’s christmas in july , LOL ! ! !