Hello!

July 24, 2020

20 Comments

If you’d like to give Christmas in July a go this year, recreating the magic of the European Christmas markets – from the music, to the decorations, the aromas and of course the authentic recipes – is a sure-fire way to get in the festive spirit.

We spoke to Bianca Mazur from Thermomix in Australia, for her tips on how to recreate those authentic experiences at home.

“Christmas in July has always been big for our family because my parents are from Poland, where the Wroclaw Christmas Markets are something people wait for all year. They’re incredible, and one of the best in Europe – the whole Rynek Market Square is lit up and there are dozens of different stalls offering all the traditional food as well as beautiful artisan gifts,” says Bianca.

Light it up

I know it’s cold, but there is something beautiful about having a fire pit or wood-fired oven outside and spending at least a little of your Christmas in July celebrations outside. We get rugged up with hats, scarves and gloves and have a glass or two of mulled wine or “glühwein” and roast chestnuts on the fire pit before we move inside for the main meal. It’s also really lovely to set up some outdoor lights to give your home that extra festive feel and they look lovely all through the winter, not just for Christmas in July.

Take a tour

While my parents are Polish, our Christmas in July is international in terms of what we cook and I love mixing recipes from different cultures, so you get a real smorgasboard of flavours. Our online recipe platform, Cookidoo, has recipes from all over Europe so we pick and choose each year.

Here’s what we’re making this year:

Baked camembert with cranberries and almonds as a grazing starter, with some chorizo cooked on the fire pit. Then we’re going to Italy for the main. It’s actually something Italians would eat on Christmas Eve, as they don’t eat meat on that day – it’s called Lasagne della vigilia di Natale which has a spinach and ricotta layer and a seafood layer.

For dessert, we’re going for a few little things that I enjoy prepping ahead of time with the kids. We’re having homemade fruit mince pies with brandy butter and cream, panforte which is an Italian nut slice, and some Kourabiedes, which are Greek moon biscuits and are delicious to dip in coffee or an after-dinner liquor or dessert wine.

All these recipes are available via www.cookidoo.com.au.

Dress the table

I love making the table feel as festive as possible. I save a box of Christmas crackers every year to pull out for Christmas in July. I also make little edible treats for everyone to take home. This year, I’m making red and green Christmas shortbread – which is a shortbread biscuit with cranberries and pistachios dipped in white chocolate – and I’ll place them in little brown paper bags with a red and green name tag and ribbon and use them as place settings for the table.

We use winter herbs and spices on the table too, to add to the festive feeling. This year I’ll be using some sage, rosemary and cinnamon squills. We’ve got sage and rosemary in the garden, so it’s another activity we can do with the kids.

Set the scene

Of course, there’s the cheesy Christmas music and for me, you can’t get away from that. But I also love to have a batch of mulled wine on the go in the Thermomix to add to the festive aroma of the house and make sure the lighting feels cosy. So, once we come in from outside and we’ve had the fire pit and chestnuts, we’re instantly greeted by those familiar spiced smells of Christmas.

Kris Kringle

We often also do a secret Santa for little gifts for everyone – it’s not a must but the kids really enjoy going shopping for the gift and wrapping it up. Also, that it’s a secret and no one will ever know who gave what  – although inevitably they end up telling!

Do you celebrate Christmas in July? Tell us in the comments below.

This article is shared and powered by mom.Connect

  • My family is scattered all over the place and its hard enough to get everyone together in December let alone trying for another date during the year.

    Reply

  • I love the Christmas!

    Reply

  • I don’t usually celebrate in July but seeing as though we’re home alot I like the idea of cooking different festive recipes.

    Reply

  • Being in lockdown meant our Christmas in July was just us – but we had a wonderful Slow Cooked Roast Pork Belly with all the trimmings and we felt very happy to be still alive and enjoying life through this horrible time of year and pandemic.

    Reply

  • We don’t, but what a great way to bring some joy in isolation this year. A great idea of something to do with the kids. The planning and prep can be an activity in itself, with different activities and mini-Xmas events along the way.

    Reply

  • No. I don’t.This year it will be really hard.

    Reply

  • I don’t celebrate Christmas in July. I only believe in celebrating it in December but to those that do, you’re braver than me.

    Reply

  • No thanks !
    Having lived in Europe till I was 38yr I never even been to a Xmas market in July cause they weren’t there till October / November!

    Reply

  • I’ve never quite understood why this is even a thing. It kind of goes against the whole meaning of it al.

    Reply

  • Not my thing but can understand how it could be fun for many.

    Reply

  • No I don’t but I applaud the people who do. It is such a nice festive gesture, I just don’t have the energy but it sounds lovely.

    Reply

  • We do not normally celebrate Christmas in July but, because of Covid and the lock downs, we have been embracing all manner of ways to brighten the lives of our family and friends without being able to be with them. We have put our Christmas lights out and have enjoyed seeing the reactions of our neighbours with their car toots and waves from afar!


    • Good on you! We love Christmas in July and indeed right now is the time to safely celebrate and find joy in customs, traditions and celebrations.

    Reply

  • Noooooooooooooooooo thank you !

    Reply

  • We love to celebrate when we can and Christmas in July is a good reason to celebrate at home.

    Reply

  • We just watched “Home Alone ” a family favorite at Christmas!

    Reply

Post a comment
Add a photo
Your MoM account


Lost your password?

Enter your email and a password below to post your comment and join MoM:

You May Like

Loading…

Looks like this may be blocked by your browser or content filtering.

↥ Back to top

Thanks For Your Star Rating!

Would you like to add a written rating or just a star rating?

Write A Rating Just A Star Rating
Join