Christmas may normally happen on December 25th, but after videos featuring well-known festive songs gained popularity on TikTok, it seems like this year we’ll be celebrating early.
Whilst ‘Christmas In July’ originally started so that our friends Down Under could experience the festivities when their climate is at the height of their winter season, Gen Z have since claimed the term as an attempt to boost happiness levels (and TikTok views) during these somewhat unusual times.
There are various accounts made in honour of the most wonderful time of the year, with TikTok star @Kate (the self-proclaimed “CEO of Xmas”) being the most recognisable of the bunch. She is most notable for regularly duetting Christmas-esc. videos, spreading Christmas cheer to her 1.2M followers all year long alongside showing off her excitable personality that simply just ignites joy.
The thought of celebrating such a wintry affair during a heatwave here in the UK may be a baffling thought, but who’s stopping us from putting on a Christmas playlist whilst wrapping presents?! They may be for an upcoming birthday instead of the real-deal, but I’m sure we’re all getting good at ignoring the truth now – I’m looking at you, COVID.
Unfortunately for fellow Brits like myself, this seems to be a tradition popularised by Americans, with select TV channels broadcasting a full month of Christmas movies to viewers only in the US. The Hallmark channel have even created widgets for your phone featuring a fully decorated tree with a scenic beach background as well as a countdown to the big day, reminding us all that it’s still nowhere near December.
Luckily, there’s still some traditions that we excel in, with one of those being the art of tea-making. Easy, right? Wrong! See how one American woman managed to botch the use of an electric kettle.
All may not be lost for us Brits though, as last month, Aldi released it’s “Junemas” range, which allowed us all to indulge in our favourite seasonal foods, such as pigs in blankets and mince pies. If you think about it, Christmas in June is exactly halfway towards Christmas in December, so that’s just another thing we managed to do better than the Americans.
Given the tough times that everyone is experiencing at the moment, it’s not surprising that many of us are looking forward to future, hopefully restriction-free celebrations. And whilst Gen Z may have stolen the Aussie’s tradition, we can all appreciate the merry and bright nature of this festive season. And remember: it’s winter somewhere!
It’s time to enjoy the festive activities alongside this remarkable heat before we’re caught complaining about the cold in December. So put those Christmas lights up early, sip some mulled wine and kick your feet up in some cozy socks! From an avid Christmas lover, I hope you have a holly, jolly Christmas in July!
