LeRoy Pennysaver & News

LE ROY PENNYSAVER & NEWS - JULY 26, 2020 by Lynne Belluscio The Jell-OGallery is having a Christmas in July sale until the end of the month. Stop by or call and place an order 585-768- 7433 for pick up or we can put your order in the mail. What ever works. There are specials each day. The Gallery is open Monday, Wednesday, Friday 10AM - 4PM and Sunday 1 - 4PM. Save $1 on all Christmas ornaments - sale price $6. Red and green Jell-O bags, $1.75 with any purchase - normally $3.50. Adult sweatshirts – great for fall and winter and back to school (we hope) save $5 - sale price $24. Popular pot holders save $1 – sale price $2.99. At that price you can buy several! And the beautiful LeRoy afghans are on sale for $40 - a savings of $5. I have always assumed that Christmas in July was a sales gimick started by some store to increase sales during the summer, but I did a little searching around and discovered some interesting “history.” Apparently there was a French opera in 1892 that made reference to Christmas in July. It was sung in French, so it loses something in translation, but one line stands out “When you sing Christmas in July, you rush the season.” The next reference I found was in 1935, when an article appeared in the National RecreationAssociation bulletin about Christmas in July that described an event in a girls camp. National attention came to Christmas in July when a movie by that name appeared. The story line evolved around a man who had been fooled into thinking that he had won a $25,000 award in an advertising slogan contest. He bought presents for all his friends and family and proposed marriage to his sweetheart. One of the better stories I discovered was about the Calvary Baptist Church in Washington DC, which in 1942 celebrated Christmas in July with a tree covered with donated gifts. The event was repeated in 1943 and the minister told that he got the idea from a church in Philadelphia that began collecting gifts and donations in July for distribution at Christmas in the foreign missions. It was also at this time, during World War 2 that the Army and Navy, in cooperation with the United States Post Office began promoting an early mailing campaign for service men overseas. They held a luncheon in New York City for two years, to promote the Christmas campaign. The idea of advertising for Christmas in July sales and promotions seems to have started in 1950. And the television shopping channels are quick to promote Christmas in July sales. One of the obvious notations is the celebration of Christmas in the southern hemisphere, where Christmas in December falls in their hot summer month, so it is not unusual to have a July event held in the winter month. But probably the most unusual story comes from Yellowstone National Park. In the 1950s the park employees held large employee parties with skits, floats, and dances. The parties were usually held in August as a way to extend the mid-summer festivities and these parties often were Christmas parties. Part of that story mentioned that on staff was a ministry student who loved to have a performance of Handel’s Messiah and so for a couple of years, the Messiah was performed as part of the event. Well, we are performing the Messiah - -but we may have some Christmas music playing. Why not? Right now everything is turned upside down anyway. We might as well sing jingle bells! An added note, we will be opening the LeRoy House this weekend on Sunday from 1:30 until 4 and it will be open some days during the week. Sam Zalacca is committed to making sure folks have an opportunity to see the house - - and no, we’re not putting up the Christmas tree - - maybe next year! Christmas in July