Christmas in July
Our Holiday Giant Seeks Some Summer Fun
Did you think we forgot about you? Of course not. Through the sunscreen streaks and salty air, all the merry bells are ringing—and wherever things are merry and bright, Deck Them is lying in wait. Happy Half Christmas, you filthy animals!
While you blister under the summer sun, remember that festive tidings are always in your heart—you just have to know where to find them. Luckily, Deck Them can cure any summertime sadness with a dash of good cheer, singing loudly for all to hear.
A Completely True and Honest Accounting of Christmas in July
American holidays are often bestowed with quaint, folksy backstories that belie their commercialization. According to Grandma, the first Christmas in July was celebrated in 1933 at Keystone Camp in Brevard, North Carolina, thanks to the whimsical spirit of camp co-founder Fannie Holt. Keystone’s Half Christmas 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.
We were told this over milk and cookies.
By the late 1940s, American companies began using “Christmas in July” for promotional purposes, running special sales during the slower summer months.
We suspect our readers are most familiar with the concept from the late-stage cable summer programming of ABC and Fox Family, when lesser Rankin/Bass Productions like Rudolph’s Shiny New Year and The Year Without a Santa Claus would finally get their due. They’re too much!
Of course, the Hallmark Channel dutifully kept this tradition, once thought lost to streaming, alive. Each summer, while Lacey & Tyler & Erin & Andrew are busy filming in Vancouver, Our Holiday Giant runs a veritable who’s who of Countdown to Christmas hits, alongside the occasional premier and sneak peek.
Did anyone watch this year? Who knows!
Gilmore the Merrier
The first leaf has fallen from the tree. It’s yellow, with only the smallest whisper of red, but distantly… faint strains of Carole King can be heard. The harbinger of fall, Gilmore Girls, is coming to the Hallmark Channel.
Beginning August 25th, Our Holiday Giant will air all seven seasons in sequential order. Melt your mind with the dulcet tones of the First Family of comfort television, as syndicated chunks of cable viewing air on weekday evenings and weekend mornings, with occasional special marathons. Where you lead, Hallmark, we will follow.
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the show and the new linear-based partnership, Our Holiday Giant has released a series of Gilmore Girls merch, with character plushes and giant “coffee” scented candles in mugs and greeting cards. We’re taken with the Gilmore Girls Luke's Diner Spatula With Sound, which invites the consumer to “sling hash and let [...] friends and family order up their favorite fare.” So taken that we delayed publishing this newsletter to drive out to Amy’s Hallmark Shop in Thousand Oaks to see it for ourselves.
Dear reader, we bought it.
We weren’t going to let this become another $5 Lit Target Store situation.
Countdown to the 16th Annual Countdown to Christmas
While many of the movies that will eventually make this year’s Countdown to Christmas are only just now entering post-production, Our Holiday Giant has already begun teasing out their biggest features:
Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story
Earlier this spring, Hallmark announced the Buffalo Bills would be the next team in their ongoing partnership with the NFL. We like to think our relentless coverage and abiding love for Josh Allen is behind the decision.
She’s Making a List
Queen of Hallmark (and our hearts), Lacey Chabert, extends her rule in her 16th Hallmark movie just in time for the 16th anniversary of Countdown to Christmas. Long may she reign.
Untitled Three Wise Men Sequel
Everyone’s favorite Wise Men continue the dance, but if they return with the titular baby, the titular boy, or someone else, we can only wait and see.
Twelve Dates ‘Til Christmas
Hallmark’s first-ever holiday rom-com series will star Mae Whitman and a Christmas-based dating app. If it wasn’t clear, Our Holiday Giant belongs to the elder millennials now.
Finding Mr. Christmas
Hallmark’s signature reality competition returns for a second season. While we didn’t cover Our Holiday Giant’s attempt to find their next leading man last year, this season might be too good to pass up…
Have Yourself a Merry Little Fishmas
We’ve always thought that Christmas in July would be the perfect opportunity for a coastal Feast of the Seven Fishes. While we’ve been too busy looking at horses to plan one, our Summertime Seven Fishes could be easily managed with a quick trip to Fish King or a day trip to Rory’s Place in Ojai. Up to you, though. The world, after all, is your oyster. Ours would look a little like this:
And with that, our sun-kissed summer days are numbered, so you'd better count your blessings. Santa is watching.