18 Fun Christmas in July Party Ideas

Today we are sharing with you some fun Christmas in July party ideas! Throwing a summer Christmas party is a pretty common thing these days. Some people refuse to wait a full 12 months for Christmas or perhaps it is the only time the whole family can get together for a summer Christmas gathering.

Some people also like combining the 4th of July Holiday with Christmas in July.

No matter the reasons you are thinking of throwing a festive summer party, we have some ideas for you to make your party a huge success and a ton of fun for all that are involved.

Decorating The House

The first thing we have to discuss is how to get the house ready for your summer Christmas party. The décor and the setting are going to play a huge part when it comes to getting people into the Christmas spirit which is a bit harder to do as Christmas is many months away.

The way your house is set up can play a huge part in getting people in the festive mood… well that and alcohol, lots and lots of alcohol!

A Traditional Christmas Tree

You cannot have a Christmas in July party ideas guide without talking about the tree. A tree is a must when it comes to Christmas décor, but there are a couple of ways you can go about this when it comes to a summer Christmas party.

The most obvious thing to do is go the whole nine yards, have a traditional-style Christmas tree, and decorate it as it should be outside the Rockefeller Center!

A traditional Christmas tree is a surefire way to get people more into the summer Christmas spirit!

A” Summer” Christmas Tree

What the heck is a summer Christmas tree we can hear you asking. Well, as this is a summer Christmas party you are throwing, you may want to try and do things a bit differently.

Having a palm tree, but all covered with decorations can be a way to have a bit of summer fun with your Christmas décor.

Although, while people may think this is fun, they might not get quite as much into the Christmas spirit, that is what Christmas tequila shots are for!

Deck The Halls

We are not saying that you have to go nuts or anything like that, but we really felt that we had to talk about how you’re going to decorate the house. One of the best Christmas in July party ideas we have for you is to go all out with the Christmas theming in the house.

Christmas decorations at this time of year should be rather cheap (if you can find them) so go nuts and fully decorate the house. It can be a tad harder to get people on board with Christmas in July so you may have to go that extra mile with over-the-top decorations to get people feeling festive.

Christmas Movies & Music

It goes without saying that you need to have all of the Christmas hits playing during the party.

Music is a great way to get people into the mood, but one other way to do this is with Christmas movies as well. No one is going to want to sit down and watch a movie the whole time they are at the party.

However, having something like Home Alone, Elf, It’s A Wonderful Life, or whatever playing throughout the night in the background is a great way to add a bit more Christmas ambiance to your party spot!

Going The Hawaiian Route

A luau Christmas party can be a lot of fun and is very popular these days and this could work for your summer Christmas party as it is the perfect blend of Christmas and summer.

You can go all-in with the Hawaiian theme by having things like Hawaiian Santa and Hula Menehune instead of traditional old Saint Nick.

A banner that says, Mele Kalikimaka or Hawaiian-style decorations all over the place. While this is a fun idea, it can be trickier to pull this off in the summer as people may think that you are throwing just a traditional summer party.

Activities to Get Your Guests In The Festive Spirit

Here we have a few Christmas in July party ideas that will help you get your guests in the Christmas spirit.

While decorating your home is part of it, these are a few suggestions you can give them to help them get in the Christmas spirit before they get to the party.

Christmas T-Shirt Contest

No one wants to be wearing a wooly and heavy Christmas sweater in July! That would be brutal and uncomfortable.

However, a Christmas t-shirt or vest contest could be a lot of fun. A Christmas t-shirt is way cheaper, plus it is very easy for someone to get their own fun image printed on a shirt.

You can also ask guests to design their own ugly Christmas T-shirt starting with a white shirt and using any kind of design or decorations. Think sequins, textile markers or paint, stickers, and more!

Offer a box of candy, a six-pack of beer, or a little trophy for the person with the best Christmas t-shirt.

Summer Christmas Gift Exchange

Before we start with this, we strongly suggest you have like a five or ten bucks limit here as you do not want people to be all Scrooge-like and resentful about spending money to come to a party.

Have people bring a cheap and fun gift and the rule is it has to be wrapped in the cheesiest Christmas wrapping paper.

This may not sound like much, but this is actually one of the more interesting Christmas party in July ideas as the buying of a cheap and cheesy gift and then wrapping it in Christmas wrapping paper is going to help get them more into the whole Christmas in summer thing.

Fun Games To Play During Your Christmas In July Party

While you can invite people around and just have a load of booze and call that a party. You need to try and have some kind of entertainment for them that they can have fun with during the night.

To be honest, anything that works during a regular Christmas party is going to work here, but these are a few classics that are sure to be a hit with your party animal guests.

Pass The Parcel

Ok, we are starting with a real classic and a must on this Christmas in July party ideas list. You get some little gifts, stuff like alcohol or chocolate is always going to be a winner.

Fire up some Christmas music and play a traditional game of pass the parcel. It is simple, it is fun and people are sure to get a big kick out of it.

The Ultimate Christmas Quiz

A quiz is always fun at a party, especially after a few drinks! Set up a fun Christmas quiz. It is up to you what kind of questions you want to ask.

There are tons of ready-made Christmas quizzes online that you can just use. If you want to go that extra mile, make your own Christmas quiz, questions about Christmas movies, songs, food, and so on are all going to help people get more into the Christmas spirit.

Have fun and cheesy prizes for the people that win the quiz to get people even more invested.

Pin The Tail On The Reindeer

While this is a “kids” game, after a few drinks, everyone will be up for playing Pin The Tail On The Reindeer!

To make this more “adult” have people take a shot and spin around before they try and put the tail on poor old Rudolph. Speaking of Rudolph, putting the red nose on Rudolph is a fun festive twist on this game.

This is one of those games that everyone can play and it always gets a lot of laughs.

Christmas Cookie Decorating Contest

Get some premade cookies and then have some stuff in the kitchen for people to decorate the cookies with. No doubt after a few drinks, you are going to end up with some very naughty-looking elves and Santa Clauses.

However, this is a fun way for people to have some fun in the kitchen while they are munching on some Christmas cookies.

Festive Food & Drink

We cannot talk about Christmas in July party ideas without mentioning food! Food is a huge part of a party and we have all been to parties where after it we were blown away by how good the food was and also parties where the food was not that great!

Here are a few food and drink ideas to make sure your friends stay merry and bright throughout the whole night.

Christmas Party Food

Just because we are talking about a summer Christmas party does not mean you have to ditch the Christmas favorites. We are talking about things like pigs in a blanket, sausage rolls, pizza, mince pies, and more!

Feel free to offer anything that you normally would at a “regular” Christmas party.

People are really going to appreciate the good Christmas food and it will certainly help make them forget that the Christmas party they are at is happening in July and not December!

The Christmas Buffet

You can have things like chicken wings, ribs, burgers, hot dogs, and more out for people to snack on during the night. One of the best things about throwing a Christmas party is that you do not need to make the main dish.

Instead, you get to make a whole buffet-style offering for people so that they can eat when they want. One way to add a bit more of a festive twist is to ensure that you have Christmas plates and cups for people to use.

Little touches like this are what will help people stay in the Christmas spirit.

Related: Mulled White Wine Recipe

Christmas Treats For Those With A Sweet Tooth

We all love tasty treats at Christmas time, it is one of the best things about it actually! When people come to a Christmas party, they expect some tasty treats and it is on you to make sure there are plenty of them.

Chocolate cookies, candy canes, gingerbread men, and everything in between.

While having “real” food is good and all, many people at a Christmas party like to snack on tasty treats during the night so be sure to have a section of your kitchen dedicated to things that are going to give them a real sugar high.

Final Thoughts On A Christmas Party In July

We hope that you have had fun with our Christmas in July party ideas list today. This can be such a fun thing to do, especially for those that love Christmas time and hate that it only comes once a year.

Well, who actually says it has to happen just once a year? It may be tough at first to get people on board with having a Christmas-themed party in July, but if you go all out with it, people will come around and they will have an amazing time!

The best advice we can give you is to just have a whole lot of fun with it, if you are having fun, your guests will be having fun!