I was selling my mate, James, on how much I love living in Tassie, discussing how Christmas in Tasmania is lovely weather-wise, but there’s something slightly sad about missing out on Christmas lights because the sun doesn’t set til 9:30pm.

“The only thing I don’t quite love about Christmas down here,” I told him, “is that the sun sets so late that Christmas lights and proper nighttime celebrations don’t really work the same way.”

Then it hit me – Christmas in July would actually make more sense in Tasmania than anywhere else in Australia.

Our winters are properly cold, our mountains get snow, and we can actually enjoy a good drink beside a fire without sweating through our ugly Christmas jumpers.

James looked at me with a glint in his eye and said, “Why not call it Chrismania?”

And just like that, Chrismania was born.

Chrismania - Christmas in July in Tasmania

Think about it. All of the traditional Christmas iconography – the snow, the reindeer, the cosy fireplaces, and woolly jumpers – comes from the Northern Hemisphere winter.

Meanwhile, in December, Australians are throwing another prawn on the barbie and hoping the pavlova doesn’t melt before dessert.

But in July? That’s when Tasmania truly shines in its winter glory.

Imagine it:

  • Crackling fires in Huon Valley pubs
  • Proper Christmas markets on Salamanca Place with hot chocolate and mulled wine that actually warms you up
  • Winter feasts featuring Tassie produce
  • Fairy lights twinkling against dark winter skies at a reasonable hour
  • A genuine chance of snow on Kunyani/Mount Wellington and the other mountaintops to give the kids a white Christmas
  • Christmas Carols and celebrations in July

But Chrismania wouldn’t just be about matching the season to the celebration. It can be about creating something uniquely Tasmanian. This might be something amazing, something to light up the Tasmanian off-season.

While the rest of Australia swelters through forced traditions in December, we can embrace our island’s distinctive winter charm.

We could turn the July school holidays into a time when locals and visitors alike gather to celebrate community, feasting, and light in the darkness – the original spirit of winter festivals anyway.

I can imagine special winter concerts in historic venues, carols and church services, Christmas-themed dinners at our world-class restaurants, and winter markets showcasing Tassie’s incredible artisans.

I’m not suggesting we abandon December Christmas – that’s still family time and our traditional celebration. But Chrismania could be our special addition, our gift to ourselves during the quieter tourist season, a way to embrace our island’s unique seasonal identity.

Though, alongside keeping December Christmas, I will note that December 25 is barely a chance for being Jesus’ actual birth day. Some say it was possibly in June.

Researchers have speculated that the Roman Catholic Church chose Dec. 25 because it ties in with the winter solstice and Saturnalia, a festival dedicated to the Roman deity Saturn. The church could also co-opt this popular pagan festival, as well as the winter celebration of other pagan religions, by choosing this day to celebrate Jesus’ birthday, according to scholar Ignacio L. Götz in his book “Jesus the Jew: Reality, Politics, and Myth-A Personal Encounter” (Christian Faith Publishing, 2019).

Tasmania can be about ceremonies and gatherings that bring people together during our coldest and darkest months. Everyone says Tasmania shuts down over winter, but does it have to?

As someone who creates celebrations for a living, I can see the potential for something truly magical here.

So who’s with me? Could Chrismania become the winter festival that Tasmania deserves? I reckon it’s an idea worth exploring – a celebration that honours both our place in the world and the true spirit of the season.

I’m thinking the last week of the July School Holidays would be amazing.

And if nothing else, it’s the perfect excuse to have two Christmas puds a year. I call that a definite win.

Want to get behind this? I see it being community-led, but I’ll build a website for it and maybe list events that people are hosting.

If you’re going to celebrate Chrismania let me know on email [email protected] Instagram or Threads.