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Ho, ho, ho! It’s a merry Christmas in July. From watching movies like Home Alone to The Polar Express we grew up witnessing the joy of a chilly winter Christmas on our screens. With Christmas in July coming up, gather your friends and family to delight in the opportunity to have your very own cosy South African winter Christmas experience.
It is said that the first recorded observation of Christmas in July was 84 years ago on July 25 1933 at an all-girls summer camp in North Carolina. A woman known for her eccentric creativity Fannie Holt, a founder of the Keystone Camp, came up with the idea to celebrate Christmas in the middle of the Summer. The occasion became an unconventional and unforgettable way to end the camp’s season with singing and gift exchanges.
Embrace this jolly, festive mid-year tradition in your own way with the ideas below.
Wow guests with a Christmas cocktail soirée
A TikTok trend that has excited amateur mixologists worldwide is inviting a group of friends to a cocktail competition party. Dust off the cocktail shakers and invite your guests to craft their very own themed cocktail, in this case Christmas themed. Everyone must rate each drink and crown the cocktail master of the night. You could even incentivise the competition by wrapping a Christmas present as a prize for the winner of the cocktail champion of the evening. Some creations may woo the group, while others will be an amusing memory for years to come.
To get some practice in, or perhaps get inspiration, try out this Amarula Cinnamontini courtesy of Malcolm Johani, mixologist of the Radisson RED V&A Waterfront Cape Town.
Prepare your martini glass ahead of time by placing it in the freezer an hour before your guests arrive.
Ingredients
35ml Amarula cream
10 ml gin of your choice
Cinnamon of your choice
Dash of angostura bitters
Optional: decorate your cocktail with red edible glitter or a swirled candy cane
Pour your Amarula, gin and a dash of angostura bitters into a cocktail shaker or blender and mix your ingredients well before pouring it into the chilled martini glasses. Add a sprinkle of cinnamon on top of the drink – bonus points if you can make it into a fancy shape, and serve to your guest.
Eat, drink, and be merry at a Christmas potluck dinner
Dinner parties can be stressful and costly! Take the pressure off yourself and host your nearest and dearest for a festive Christmassy potluck feast. Not only does this mean that you don’t have to worry about catering multiple dishes, but your guests can enjoy the best of each other’s cooking.
Wow your guests with a mouthwatering Beef Wellington main, try out the recipe below from Johan Van Rooyen, chef at Radisson Hotel and Convention Centre.
Set the scene
Make an impression the moment guests arrive, advises Leonie Andereya, curator at Radisson RED V&A Waterfront Cape Town. “If guests walk in your front door and immediately see you’ve gone to great effort, it makes them feel special and creates a wonderful atmosphere right at the start,” she says.
Set the scene by placing a scented candle at the front door so that a festive fragrance envelopes them as they arrive. Candles with warm notes of spiced orange or cinnamon will work well, or try Crisp Campfire Apple Yankee candle.
“Scent is the only sense that is directly associated with our memories, so if you incorporate a scented candle or even an essential oil diffuser into your hosting space you will leave guests with a lasting impression. This element of your dinner could even serve as inspiration for your Christmas presents in December, where you can gift your loved ones with a candle or oil blend from the event,” says Andereya.
If you have a console table, adorn it with tea-light candles or a row of sparkly fairy lights for a magical mood. And, suggests Andereya, once guests have settled in, serve them welcoming drinks from a silver or golden tray for a smart touch. Having had years of experience in helping guests enjoy special occasions, her top tip for the night is to have a great playlist to instantly set the mood. Mariah Carey Christmas songs, anyone?
Deck the table with decor
Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without some celebratory trimmings. You can either whip out some of last year’s Christmas decorations or set an elegant festive mood with inexpensive table decor. Dress your dinner table with a classic white tablecloth, then raid your garden for some green foliage to line the center of the table. Next, place a few candles to add to the intimate ambiance of the night; affordable white pillar candles can be easily found at most grocery stores or online.
Finish your table off by slipping a sprig or two of greenery into napkin rings with crisp white serviettes, and put a name place card on top. As a final flourish, tie sprigs of greenery to the backs of chairs with a pretty ribbon.
Remember that a welcoming atmosphere will warm up any wintry dinner party, concludes Andereya. Regardless of how prepared you are, or how much you have to offer guests, know that just by having a Christmas in July get together, you’ll already have created special memories for your guests. So, above all, relax and enjoy the evening!
Beef Wellington Recipe
Serves 6 – 8 Ingredients
1kg Beef fillet, trimmed
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil, for greasing
2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
700 g mixed mushrooms, roughly chopped
1 shallot, roughly chopped
Leaves from 1 thyme sprig
2 tbsp. salted butter
Flour, for dusting
400gr puff pastry, thawed
1 large egg, beaten
Method
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Season the fillet with salt and pepper. Over high heat, coat the bottom of a heavy pan with olive oil. Once the pan is nearly smoking, sear the fillet until well-browned on all sides, including the ends, about 2 minutes per side (12 minutes total). Transfer to a plate. When cool enough to handle, coat all sides with mustard. Let it cool in the fridge.
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In a food processor, pulse mushrooms, shallots, and thyme until finely chopped.
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Add butter to a pan and melt over medium heat. Add the mushroom mixture and cook until the liquid has evaporated, around 25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then let it cool in the fridge.
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Place cling film down on a work surface, overlapping so that it’s twice the length and width of the fillet. Take the cooled duxelles and spread them evenly over the clingfilm.
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Place fillet at the bottom of the film. Roll the meat into the mushroom mixture, using your cling film to roll tightly. Then twist the ends of the cling film tightly into a log and transfer it to the fridge to chill – which will help it maintain its shape.
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Heat your oven to 200°C. Lightly flour your work surface, then spread out puff pastry and roll it into a rectangle that will cover the fillet. Remove the fillet from the cling film and place it on the bottom of the puff pastry. Brush the other three edges of the pastry with egg wash, then tightly roll the beef into the pastry.
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Once the log is fully covered in puff pastry, trim any extra pastry, then crimp edges with a fork to seal well. Wrap the roll in cling film to get a really tight cylinder, then chill it for 20 minutes.
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Remove the cling film, then transfer the roll to a foil-lined baking tray. Brush with egg wash and add a sprinkle of salt
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Bake until pastry is golden and the centre registers 50ºC for medium-rare, which should take about 40 to 45 minutes. Let it rest for 10 minutes before carving and serving.