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Christmas in July is a term describing Christmas celebrations held in the month of July, the nature of which differs by hemisphere. ==Origins== ''Werther'', an 1892 opera with libretto by Édouard Blau, Paul Milliet, and Georges Hartmann, had an English translation published in 1894 by Elizabeth Beall Ginty. In the story, a group of children rehearses a Christmas song in July, to which a character responds: "When you sing Christmas in July, you rush the season." It is a translation of the French: "vous chantez Noël en juillet... c'est s'y prendre à l'avance."〔Act I, Scene II.〕 This opera is based on Goethe's ''The Sorrows of Young Werther''. Christmas features in the book, but July does not. The earliest known occasion to make the phrase Christmas in July literal was in July 1933 at Camp Keystone, a girl's summer camp in North Carolina, which celebrated with a Christmas tree, gifts, and a visit by Santa Claus.〔"Summer Santa Fun, Says Camp Head", ''The Washington Post'', November 13, 1933, p. 9.〕 In 1935, the National Recreation Association's journal ''Recreation'' described what a Christmas in July was like at a girl's camp, writing that "all mystery and wonder surround this annual event."〔"Christmas in July", ''Recreation'', 1935, vol. 29, p. 216.〕 The term, if not the exact concept, was given national attention with the release of the Hollywood movie comedy ''Christmas in July'' in 1940, written and directed by Preston Sturges.〔(Christmas in July ), Internet Movie Database.〕 In the story, a man is fooled into believing he has won $25,000 in an advertising slogan contest. He buys presents for family, friends, and neighbors, and proposes marriage to his girlfriend. In 1942, the Calvary Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., celebrated Christmas in July with carols and the sermon "Christmas Presents in July".〔"Christmas in July Theme of Calvary Church Service", ''The Washington Post'', July 11, 1942, p. 6.〕 They repeated it in 1943, with a Christmas tree covered with donations. The pastor explained that the special service was patterned after a program held each summer at his former church in Philadelphia, when the congregation would present Christmas gifts early to give ample time for their distribution to missions worldwide.〔"Calvary Baptist Church Holds 'Christmas-in-July' Service", ''The Washington Post'', July 12, 1943, p. B1.〕 It became an annual event, and in 1946, the service began to be broadcast over local radio. The U.S. Post Office and U.S. Army and Navy officials, in conjunction with the American advertising and greeting card industries, threw a Christmas in July luncheon in New York in 1944 to promote an early Christmas mailing campaign for service men and women overseas during World War II.〔"'Christmas in July' Luncheon Opens Drive To Speed Gift Mailing to Armed Forces", ''The New York Times'', July 28, 1944, p. 15.〕 The luncheon was repeated in 1945. American advertisers began using Christmas in July themes in print for summertime sales as early as 1950.〔"It's Christmas in July at Browning King" (advertisement), ''The New York Times'', July 20, 1950, p. 16.〕 In the United States, it is more often used as a marketing tool than an actual holiday. Television stations may choose to re-run Christmas specials, and many stores have Christmas in July sales. Some individuals choose to celebrate Christmas in July themselves, typically as an intentionally transparent excuse to have a party. This is in part because most bargainers tend to sell Christmas goods around July to make room for next year's inventory. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Christmas in July」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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