I thought I would share a fun story about David, Charlie and I and even before they were a part of my life Suzzane and had family traditions that we hold near and dear to our hearts. One of our biggest traditions is celebrating one holiday at a time. In fact, my sister is the same way. We like to enjoy the season we’re in before rushing ahead to the next one.
So let me share our story of how we celebrate Christmas, why our traditions have changed through the years, and what we really think about Christmas in July. I’ll be honest—Christmas in July just wasn’t a thing when I was growing up. Can you imagine what my dad would have said about it if it had happened back then?
When I was a little girl, Christmas didn’t officially begin until the day after Thanksgiving. My family didn’t decorate early, we didn’t skip ahead, and we certainly weren’t thinking about Christmas in July. Thanksgiving had its place, and once we had gathered with family and given thanks, then—and only then—it was time to turn our attention to Christmas.
As I became a mom to Suzzane I carried that same tradition right into our home. Even though I was a single mom and lived with my parents the day after Thanksgiving became one of our favorite days of the year because we made sure everyone was home that evening.
We would plan it like an event. Snack foods, Christmas music, sometimes a Christmas movie playing in the background, and then the evening would be spent decorating the tree together. More often than not, that was also the day we went to pick up our Christmas tree. As a single mom, I had to stretch every dollar, so buying the tree right after Thanksgiving just made sense financially. But looking back, it also made the moment feel even more special.
We didn’t rush Christmas. We earned it in a way. One year stands out more than the rest. I heard on the radio that Walmart was giving away Christmas trees, and I couldn’t believe it. At the time, Suzanne and I were living with my parents, so I went straight over and picked out the biggest tree I could find.
When I brought it home, my dad just looked at it like I had lost my mind. He was convinced it wasn’t going to fit inside the house. There was a lot of maneuvering, a lot of laughter, and a little bit of disbelief—but somehow, that tree made it in. And once it was decorated, it was beautiful. That memory is still one of my favorite Christmas memories to this day.
Later on, when David and I got married, he didn’t really have many Christmas traditions of his own, so we built ours together. We kept the same rhythm—waiting until after Thanksgiving to decorate—but now it became a whole family night.
We’d fill the house with snack foods, watch movies, play games, listen to music, and just enjoy being together. Some years his children were with us, some years they weren’t, but every year we ended the night the same way: hanging a new ornament on the tree.
We even bought ornaments for his children so they would always have a place on our tree and in our memories. Then life shifted again when Charlie came along. And let me just say this—who gave that boy permission to be born on December 16? I sure didn’t. But the Lord had His timing, and I wouldn’t change him for anything.
Charlie’s birthday changed everything for our family traditions. I made the decision that his birthday would always come first. Not, David but me and he didn’t argue with me he just went along with it. I didn’t want Christmas to overshadow his birthday, so we stopped decorating right after Thanksgiving.
My mom didn’t really understand the change, but to me it made perfect sense. Charlie only gets one birthday a year, and I wanted it to belong completely to him. So we adjusted. Although none of our family was happy about it but they didn’t live in my home so they couldn’t say anything.
We might put out a few simple decorations, but the tree stayed packed away. We celebrated Charlie’s birthday fully—his day, his cake, his presents, his joy. And only after his birthday was over did we bring out the Christmas tree and decorate the house.
It meant fewer days with decorations up, but it meant more presence in the moment. More attention on what mattered right then. And I would make that same choice every time. Plus it would give me more time to shop and wrap gifts because no, one was going to help me wrap.
Charlie is nineteen now, but I still follow that tradition. At this point, it’s not really about rules anymore—it’s about remembering what matters most. Family. Time together. Being fully present in the season we’re actually living in.
That’s probably why Christmas in July has never really been my thing. Or my sisters. Every July, Christmas movies start appearing on TV, sales pop up everywhere, and suddenly we’re being reminded that it’s time to think about December.
Meanwhile, I’m still trying to enjoy summer—cookouts, sunshine, family time, and all the simple things that come with this season. I’m not against it. If you love Christmas in July, I think that’s wonderful. We all enjoy things differently. It’s just never been how I do life and it isn’t how Charlie plans on doing life he said. I pity his wife if she doesn’t agree with Charlie.
In our home, we’ve always believed in one holiday at a time. Enjoy Halloween before rushing to Thanksgiving. Enjoy Thanksgiving before jumping into Christmas. Let each season have its moment before the next one arrives. Because the days go by to fast.
Life already moves fast enough on its own. The older I get, the more I realize our traditions aren’t really about decorations or calendars. They’re about memories. They’re about laughter in the kitchen, children blowing out birthday candles, family movie nights on the couch, and the simple joy of being together.
So while the rest of the world might be singing Christmas carols in July, I’ll be outside enjoying summer and making memories with my family. Christmas will come soon enough. And when it does, we’ll be ready—just like we always are. One holiday at a time.
Now, I have a question for you. What do you think about Christmas in July?
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
