There’s no denying the first six months of 2020 have been a little crazy, so why not celebrate what’s to come and get in the festive spirit a little early? Christmas in July might not be a new concept, but it’s probably one that’s been overlooked in previous years when life was a little more ‘predictable’.

For those of us living in the southern hemisphere, it’s the perfect time to experience Christmas with a northern hemisphere climate, as well as bring some festive cheer to mid-year. If you’ve never experienced cold evenings singing Christmas carols by the campfire, wearing a Christmas-themed jumper with a glass of mulled wine in hand – here’s your chance. Grab your family and friends and celebrate Christmas in July with this guide.

Order your Christmas feast

While some Australians may forgo the traditional Christmas turkey in December, July is the perfect weather to sit down to a traditional roast with all the trimmings. No need to worry about trying to squeeze the turkey and other groceries in the car or making a mad dash on arrival to a local grocery store close to your holiday park, either.

With so many other items to pack and unpack for your holiday – clothes, bikes, and boogie boards – enjoy the luxury of a pre-stocked fridge and pantry on arrival thanks to our industry-first delivery partnership with Woolworths. All you need to do is put together your shopping list, order online and select your delivery location (aka your holiday park). Once it’s arrived our team will unpack it for you into your cabin’s fridge ready for your arrival.

Pick a Christmas playlist

Is it even Christmas without Christmas carols?

Thanks to online streaming services, you can access Christmas songs at any time of the year. Choose an album or put together your own playlist with all your festive favourites. Get the kids involved to create their own playlist so there’s no shortage of Christmas songs for the journey to get there.

If you need a break from the carols sing-a-long during the road trip, here are some other car games to keep the whole family entertained and avoid the dreaded “are we there yet?”.

Wear a Christmas sweater

Celebrating Christmas wearing an ugly Christmas sweater is a thing in winter, you guys. Think elves, bells, or embroidered reindeers or Santa’s on a knit jumper and you’ve mastered this northern hemisphere tradition.

While it’s not something Australian’s usually partake in, given our average December temperatures range between 30 – 40 degrees, July is the perfect opportunity to enjoy this festive tradition.

If you don’t have one in your wardrobe, make sure you plan ahead and order online for the occasion. You’re guaranteed to get lots of wear out of it too camping during winter. Make sure you know what to expect when camping during winter with this guide.

Pack some marshmallows

Name a more iconic duo that camping and roasting marshmallows by the campfire. We’ll wait.

Check to see if your preferred Ingenia Holidays park is brazier-friendly and make sure you pack some fluffy-sweet-balls-of-goodness to poke on the end of a skewer or stick.

It’s not just marshmallows you can cook on the campfire, either. Try one of these campfire meals during your stay.

Choose the right destination

Deciding to take a holiday is the easy part; the hardest part is choosing where to secure the tent pegs into the ground.

Whether you prefer to pitch a tent, BYO accommodation on wheels, or check-in to a cabin or safari tent, with an array of holiday parks across the country there’s no shortage of options for you to escape the city chaos for winter Christmas cheer.

Choose a property inland for the chance to wake up to winter frost or pick a coastal location for a warmer winter stay.

Keep in mind, the further north you go, the warmer the temperatures will be. Take BIG4 Ingenia Holidays Cairns Coconut for instance – it rarely dips below 20 degrees even at its lowest point in winter.

If you plan on inviting your family or another group of friends to help celebrate Christmas in July with you, we’ve got some tips for how to host a family reunion with this guide.