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Dreaming of a white Christmas? You may be in luck because across Australia, cities and regions take advantage of the cooler weather by hosting Christmas in July celebrations. And even if they aren't having any "official" celebrations, the colder weather in general still brings with it a special level of cosiness.
If you were planning to enjoy the festivities in Sydney or the Blue Mountains, you will need to reschedule for next year or visit one of the other cosy destinations listed below as Sydney and the Blue Mountains have COVID-19 restrictions in place.
Here are a few of the most magical places to have yourself a merry little (early) Christmas in Australia.
The deep, crisp and even Christmas carol quality of the Dandenong Ranges in July is all you need for seasonal cheer.
And the locals know it with its eateries inspired to put on a Christmas festival every year.
Venues like Sky High Mt Dandenong, Marybrooke Manor, The Pig & Whistle Tarvern, The Ivy, Miss Marple’s Tea Room and the Wild Oak often offer festive lunches and dinners.
Think turkey with all the trimmings, plum pudding and other belt-busting treats.
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What would a wintery Christmas be without snow? Nothing, that's what.
So for the true white Christmas experience head to Thredbo to hit the slopes.
If you're lucky a flurry might even fall and jingle bells may ring as you catch a few snowboarders carving it up in a Santa suit.
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The temperature may be hanging around 10℃ mark in Ballarat but the city and its tourist attractions have all the historic charms to fill your heart.
Because isn't that what Christmas is all about?
For a real taste of the olde lifestyle, Sovereign Hill Historic Park is the place to be. This living history museum winds back the clock to the 1850s gold rush era and has horse drawn carriages and costumed characters.
During winter it often hosts a Christmas in July Winter Wonderlights festival where visitors can listen to brass bands playing carols, watch festive plays like Dickens' A Christmas Carol and see Main Street illuminated with fairy lights and moving Christmas images every night.
This year's festival is running from 26 June onward.
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For a Christmas of wintery bliss in the sunny state of Queensland, you'll have to head quite far south.
As far south as Southern Downs and the Granite Belt. This is the coldest place in the state with the thermstat dropping to 17°C by day and 3°C by night in July.
So it's little wonder that the region uses this as an excuse for many a Christmas in July celebration.
Restaurants take to the occasion with themed menus. Abbey of the Roses in Warwick is one of the most famous, annually serving up a three-course Christmas dinner with Christmas trivia every Saturday and on the last two Fridays of the month. You can even stay at the cosy establishment.
Granite Belt Brewery, Golden Grove Estate and R on the Downs are also choice options for an incredible Christmas feast.
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Head out of the big smoke and pay your local wineries, farmers and restauranters a visit this year. Their warming winter meals won't disappoint and are sure to give you all those Christmas in July feels.
Winter is also truffle season where you can dine on truffle infused meals and partake in a truffle hunt. If that's more your style.
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OK sure, the Gold Coast isn't the first place you think of when you hear the words "Christmas in July" but the city does come to the party on this occasion.
Throughout the month you'll notice red and green crop up in a number of its big hotel restaurants.
This year's events have yet to be confirmed but in the past we've seen the QT Gold Coast, Harvest Buffet at The Star, The Collective and Tees Clubhouse at the RACV Royal Pines Resort serve up indulgent warming meals.
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Hot crackling fires, full-bodies wines and small cottages. Who wouldn't love heading to the Hunter Valley during winter?
It's got everything you need to make you fall in love with the season. And who knows? Your stay may even erect a Christmas tree just for you.
For an extra Christmassy feel, the Hunter Valley often hosts a Snow Time in the Gardens festival with ice skating, tobogganing, live entertainment, face painting and hearty meals served out of market stalls. This event runs between 19 June and 18 July 2021.
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Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. Victorians out hunting for powder that'll make you start singing Christmas carols no end can find all that and more at Falls Creek.
Head to the slopes to carve up your winter wonderland. Or, book a cottage in town and warm up to a crackling fire. Both work.
Annually, Falls Creek has a sled dog classic even that showcases Siberian huskies, Alaskan malamutes and Alaskan huskies as they race through the streets towards Slalom Plaza in search of victory. This year's event has yet to be confirmed.
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Expect to wake up to snow capped mountain views when you make your July destination Mount Hotham.
That's because the resort is right at the top of the mountain.
So have yourself a very merry one and spend your days barrelling through that powder and then warming up with some (Christmas) cheer at the local pub.
It's how Santa would do it, too.
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It may not get coated in a layer of fresh snow in July, but The Rocks in Sydney does succeed in making it feel like Christmas all year round. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak in Sydney, Christmas in July events will not be going ahead this year.
July weather can be frightfully cold in the Blue Mountains. But that's honestly a nice excuse for hotel lobbies to fire up their fireplaces for you to snuggle up in front of.
Add in a touch of snow capped landscape and you've got the ultimate Christmassy setting. As a bonus, venues across the region host Yulefest and channel the warmth of Christmas to keep themselves cosy. In 2021, you will not be able to enjoy the magic of Christmas in July in the Blue Mountains due to COVID-19 restrictions.
It falls on 25 July. Although it is celebrated throughout the entire month, tradition dictates that the holiday is honoured on said date or the weekend it falls closest to.
The annual holiday began in North Carolina nearly a century ago. The simple celebration then turned into a massive sales event across the United States and was adopted in many forms around the world.
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