July 2021

According to legend, Christmas in July was first celebrated at a summer camp in 1933, when Keystone Camp in Brevard, N.C. decided to dedicate two days (July 24 and 25) to the holiday—complete with cotton fake snow, a decked-out tree, a gift exchange, and, of course, Santa.  It first hit pop culture in 1940, when the movie Christmas in July hit theaters. The plot? A man's colleagues prank him into thinking his work won a $25,000 prize—and he goes on a jolly spree of generosity (including finally proposing to his longtime love). By the 1950s, retailers had hit on the concept, and...