Christmas in July for the Bees
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (382693)
Rockingham, Australia
July 18, 2016 4:38am CST
We have two Christmas in July functions to attend at the end of next week. One is a murder mystery on Friday night at the little local theatre. The play will revolve around a Christmas meal and audience participation will be part of the fare. I'm looking forward to it.
The following night we're going to another feast at the local country club featuring a choice of roasts and plum pudding made to granny's secret recipe. We know this is to die for as we've had that plum pudding before.
But it seems even the shrubs are getting into the act. We have a New Zealand Christmas tree in the garden and it is actually flowering at the moment. I'm sure it should be waiting till Christmas time but no, it is blooming its little heart out. Whether it is out of season or not, the local bees are very pleased. Are you planning to celebrate Christmas in July?
29 people like this
28 responses
@HazySue (39265)
• Gouverneur, New York
18 Jul 16
@JudyEv that New Zealand Christmas Tree is beautiful. I envy you going to a murder mystery. I love them, I used to run them for a restaurant in New Jersey years ago. Christmas in July gatherings are always so much fun. Have a great time.
3 people like this
@JudyEv (382693)
• Rockingham, Australia
18 Jul 16
I think it's all the Poms getting nostalgic for a cold, wet Christmas. A hot roast with umpteen varieties of vegetables, plus gravy, mint sauce, Yorkshire pudding followed by plum pudding and custard is a bit hard to take if we're in the middle of heatwave. Hence the Christmas in July gigs.
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@BelleStarr (61463)
• United States
18 Jul 16
I want to go with you!! No we have nothing like that here.
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@BelleStarr (61463)
• United States
20 Jul 16
@JudyEv oh you are a cruel woman Judy,lol I am going to get myself into virtual dining mode so I can really enjoy it through you!! Getting plum pudding in this country is mighty hard!!
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@JudyEv (382693)
• Rockingham, Australia
21 Jul 16
@BelleStarr And did I mention a choice of roasts with vegetables, gravy, mint sauce, Yorkshire puddings? 
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@JudyEv (382693)
• Rockingham, Australia
19 Jul 16
When I was a child we'd have a hot Christmas lunch and/or dinner and it might be 100 degrees F or more. And only wood stoves. So gradually cold meals took over for Christmas. I can only imagine people miss Christmas pudd mostly (we can have a roast any old time) so when it is cold and wet it's a great time for a hot, heavy meal. It is also a good excuse to have a fund-raiser too. It seems from the comments that some know of the practice and others don't.
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@Hatley (163772)
• Garden Grove, California
18 Jul 16
that photo l;ooks like the bloom on the bottle bruish tree we have on our street southern Calif.
@JudyEv (382693)
• Rockingham, Australia
19 Jul 16
Our Christmas' are like that - hot weather and no rain so having a Christmas in July gives us an excuse to have a lovely roast meal and plum pudding. The flower is very like a bottle brush bloom. California has much the same climate as Australia and many of our plants grow well there.
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@Porcospino (31365)
• Denmark
18 Jul 16
I really like the photo. The murder mystery sounds like a lot of fun. I have never celebrated Christmas in July. The only celebration we have in the summer months is midsummer night in June.
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@Porcospino (31365)
• Denmark
23 Jul 16
@JudyEv Our exchange student from Australia told us that they usually celebrate Christmas Eve on the beach because the weather is hot. It is a little hard for us to imagine. In northern Europe we are used to really cold weather and snow (sometimes)
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@JudyEv (382693)
• Rockingham, Australia
24 Jul 16
@Porcospino It is completely the opposite, isn't it? I would love to have a cold Christmas one day - and preferably with snow.
@crazyhorseladycx (39503)
• United States
18 Jul 16
stunnin' photo! i don't reckon i've e'en seen such a tree? how delightful to've 't bloomin' now, durin' yer winter! i fear i don't do any Christmas'n july, not e'en certain such festivities 'xist here? be sure'n sneak a couple bites'f that plum puddin' fer me, k? sounds jest divine :)
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@crazyhorseladycx (39503)
• United States
19 Jul 16
@JudyEv dang 't, that means such'd no doubt perish'n these parts durin' winter....wonder if'n i coudl haul't indoors fer winter here? hmm, may need to do me some readin' 'p 'n these beauts!
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@JudyEv (382693)
• Rockingham, Australia
19 Jul 16
@crazyhorseladycx I'm not sure why they're called NZ Christmas trees - whether they're indigenous to NZ maybe.
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@JudyEv (382693)
• Rockingham, Australia
19 Jul 16
It is probably one of the bottlebrush family which Hatley says blooms in California. As CA and Oz have similar climates many of our trees grow well there, sometimes too well, I know one of the eucalyptus has been designated persona non grata.
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@teamfreak16 (43685)
• Denver, Colorado
18 Jul 16
Nah, I don't even celebrate Christmas in December.
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@JudyEv (382693)
• Rockingham, Australia
19 Jul 16
@teamfreak16 @DianneN That's a shame. You might be missing out on some great food! I'll have some plum pudding for each of you. :)
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@JudyEv (382693)
• Rockingham, Australia
18 Jul 16
It is a good excuse to have a nice hot meal with friends on a cold night.
@Hate2Iron (15724)
• Canada
20 Jul 16
I never have celebrated Christmas in July... but what you have next week sounds like fun. Maybe not this year with the move, but maybe next year for sure!!
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@responsiveme (22923)
• India
19 Jul 16
Thats a marvelous photo.
The murder mystery souds rather exciting.Will you'll have to guess 'who dun it'?
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@williamjisir66 (594)
• Hangzhou, China
19 Jul 16
It sounds interesting to me that there are two Christmas in July functions. It is good for me to learn something new from your words between. As I live in the north part of the earth, we don't celebrate Christmas in July, but we have some other festivals by lunar month of July the fifteenth, a festival for the ancesters. Thank you for your nice discussion.
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