If you've ever dreamt of going to the famed Christmas markets in Germany, the next best thing in Australia is when the Queen Victoria Market celebrates Christmas in July. Every Wednesday from July 6 to 27, don your best ugly holiday sweater and make tracks to the market from 5pm to 10pm. Enjoy a mini forest of illuminated trees, watch live ice sculpting, groove to a Christmas-themed silent disco and marvel at stilt-walking angels and roller-skating Christmas trees. Don't forget to snag some handcrafted gingerbread and mugs of mulled wine, spiked Milo or Gin Toddies.
While we're used to celebrating Christmas over barbecues and beers while donning Hawaiian shirts and summer dresses, it's tough not to feel FOMO from the wintery festivities of our mates in the Northern Hemisphere. And while Melbourne rarely gets snow — if light dustings even count — we'll be damned if that stops us from trying to recreate our very own white Christmas in July.
Round up your mates, minus the Scrooges, and hit up these snow-covered markets and historic towns and decadent Christmas feasts.