36 Amazing Christmas in July Party Drinks and Food Ideas
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So, it’s that time of year, but this time in July! We celebrate Christmas in July! So, let’s have a party and enjoy time and good food and drink with the people we like!
I’ve put together a wonderful collection of recipes for you here with sweet and savory delights for a unique Christmas in July party!
But before you dig into the delicious recipes, why do we celebrate Christmas in July? I mean, yes, you can always celebrate, right? But where does Christmas in July come from? So let’s take a quick detour to find out:
What Christmas in July is all about?
Christmas in July or Christmas in Summer is a second Christmas celebration held around the summer season, mainly during July. It is centered around Christmas-themed activities and entertainment, including small gatherings, seasonal music and specials, and shopping, with the goal of getting the public in the “Christmas spirit” during the summer season in the Northern Hemisphere.
Origin
Werther, an 1892 French opera with libretto by Édouard Blau, Paul Milliet, and Georges Hartmann, had an English translation published in 1894 by Elizabeth Beall Ginty. In the story, a group of children rehearses a Christmas song in July, to which a character responds: “When you sing Christmas in July, you rush the season.” It is a translation of the French: “vous chantez Noël en juillet… c’est s’y prendre à l’avance.” This opera is based on Goethe‘s The Sorrows of Young Werther. Christmas features in the book, but July does not.
In 1935, the National Recreation Association’s journal Recreation described what a Christmas in July was like at a girl’s camp, writing that “all mystery and wonder surround this annual event.”
The term, if not the exact concept, was given national attention with the release of the Hollywood movie comedy Christmas in July in 1940, written and directed by Preston Sturges. In the story, a man is fooled into believing he has won $25,000 in an advertising slogan contest. He buys presents for family, friends, and neighbors, and proposes marriage to his girlfriend.
Another explanation for Christmas in July is that the concept of Christmas in July itself was originally a way for people living in southern hemispheres to make up for missing out on that typical white Christmas we’ve been dreaming of. Celebrating in July gives those living in the southern hemisphere a chance to eat all the hearty Christmas cuisine and wear ugly Christmas sweaters as seen on TV. But it’s not just isolated to the individual with many shops and restaurants offering Christmas in July sales or meals for the season.
Interesting, isn’t it? But now it’s time for the promised recipes.
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36 Christmas in July Recipes for your awesome Party
A delicious beverage can not be missing at a Christmas party, even more so. Therefore, we begin our journey into the party recipes with a few delicious drinks!
Party Drinks
1
Christmas Morning Mimosas – The Short Order Cook
Christmas in July needs a fun red pomegranate mimosa to start the day. Cocktails that are this easy & delicious will get the party started.
It does not always have to be sweet! Here are delicious savory recipes to discover for your Christmas in July party!
6
Christmas Salad
Contains all the colors of Christmas! This fresh, bright salad is made with broccoli, cauliflower, red onion and cherry tomatoes mixed with a creamy dressing.
Tangy cream cheese and zesty ranch come together in this super simple appetizer. It is easier to make than it looks. Guaranteed to be the cutest item on the holiday buffet!
Christmas in July wouldn’t be complete without a savory appetizer of beef crostini. It’s thinly sliced beef tenderloin served on a piece of toasted baguette with a delicious and creamy mascarpone sauce.
Easy and filling, these puff pastry sausage rolls are filled with ground beef and potato and are packed with flavor. Can be prepared ahead of time for easy entertaining.
Baked brie cheese with cranberry sauce is a crowd pleasing party appetizer. This vegetarian cheese appetizer is gluten-free. You will love this easy recipe that makes a showstopper, elegant and festive appetizer!
4 Cheese Ball Recipes for Christmas holiday appetizers, and this party food looks like tree ornaments!
Learn how to make four Festive flavors: White Cheddar Rosemary Pomegranate, Cheddar Pimiento, Garlic Chive Goat Cheese, and Blue Cheese Cranberry Pecan.
These will be the star holiday party appetizer on a cheese board, and don’t they just say Merry Christmas..
These cute and festive Candy Cane Cupcakes are the perfect Christmas or Holiday treat. Topped with homemade peppermint buttercream frosting, these cupcakes taste just like a candy cane!
This Christmas pudding ice cream has just three ingredients and is super easy. Perfect for Christmas in July or if you are looking for a festive dessert to wow your guests with this Christmas.
This no bake eggnog cheesecake is a creamy and delicious holiday dessert perfect for a Christmas party or to enjoy at home. The subtle ginger flavor in the crust and the nutmeg notes in the filling make this cheesecake a true taste sensation.
This recipe for Cake Balls is one of my most requested every Christmas. But they can be made for ANY holiday, including birthdays! They are so moist and the one sweet treat that everyone goes crazy for every year.
Christmas Tree Cupcakes look impressive but are quite easy and so much fun to make! Making these gorgeous and delicious Christmas cupcakes is a perfect way to celebrate the season.
Festive Eggnog Pancakes That Will Make Santa Proud
Add some joy to your breakfast table with these festive and fluffy eggnog pancakes, served with a cinnamon nutmeg whipped butter and hot drunken maple syrup.
Decadent Whiskey Chocolate Truffles | Marley’s Menu
These decadent bite-sized Whiskey Chocolate Truffles are the ultimate pop-in-your-mouth treat, with intense chocolate flavor and a touch of boozy bliss.
Keep your summer figure with these healthy Christmas pudding protein balls. They are filled with traditional warm spices like cinnamon, allspice, cocoa, and a touch of orange then sweetened with dates and raisins.
Stained glass cookies start as a buttery sugar cookie, but with a little holiday magic to make the center of the cookie see-thru with sweet candy. This cookie is perfect for a cookie platter, cookie exchange or just delicious holiday baking!
This easy shortbread recipe is the perfect way to make quick Christmas tree cookies that you can decorate in many different ways. The dough comes together with 3 simple ingredients and then is cut out into tree shapes to be baked and dressed up for the holiday spirit or turned into an edible 3D Christmas Tree farm.
What could bring more festive joy than a Christmas Chocolate Salad? Appealing to the young and old, this easy to make platter of chocolate and fruits will be a fitting end to any Christmas gathering be it in July or December!
Sometimes you feel like a nut… Sometimes you just want some candied pecans. Low in carbohydrates and sodium, these gluten-free treats are sure to go fast at your next holiday party or get together!
Vegan White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies (Gluten-Free, Allergy-Free)
The perfect holiday cookie recipe that tastes just like Christmas! These Vegan White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies are gluten-free, allergy-free, and full of dairy-free white chocolate chips and crushed peppermint candies! Easy and delicious, they’re a fun addition to your seasonal cookie swap and dessert platters!
Anecia Hero
You won’t believe how easy homemade marshmallows are to make! With a few simple ingredients, you’ll have all-natural, sweet and fluffy marshmallows, and they’re fun to make!
With this amount of both sweet and savory party food recipes and delicious drinks, you now have various ideas for your upcoming Christmas in July party! I hope you have fun celebrating! Let me know which recipe it turned out to be! I would be so happy to hear!
If you want to save the recipes for later, download my link list in PDF form, with all the recipes, then you’ll have them on hand when you need them!
Nora’s love for baking began in her grandmother’s kitchen, where she learned the foundations she still carries into her recipes today. She now shares that knowledge and enthusiasm with her readers on Combine Good Flavors. In recent years, she has also developed a passion for cocktails and drinks, which she continues to deepen through ongoing bartender training. As an SCA-certified coffee brewing professional, coffee remains at the heart of everything she creates.
I never knew the background of Christmas in July but I have celebrated it with friend’s in the past for fun. There are so many great options in this list. I’m looking forward to trying all the desserts!
I never knew the background of Christmas in July but I have celebrated it with friend’s in the past for fun. There are so many great options in this list. I’m looking forward to trying all the desserts!
Thank you, Joshua!
I’m sitting here looking at all these amazing recipes and it’s over 100 degrees. I think I need to make all the snowmen recipes to cool off.
That sounds awesome Jere!
What a great collection of recipes! There are so many I want to try! We don’t celebrate Christmas in July, but it sounds fun!
Maybe you can give it a try this year? 🙂
Interesting ideas and It’s absolutely new information to me! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you, Abhi!
This is such a fun roundup!! I’m definitely going to use some of these ideas for my party!
That is awesome! I am happy you found recipes for your party, Kyleigh!