Heatwave Holiday is one of those unforgettable gems from Garfield and Friends — originally Season 2, Episode 17 — that manages to feel perfectly Christmassy… despite taking place in the middle of July. It was written by Mark Evanier and Sharman DiVono and was originally aired in September 23, 1989.
I first watched this episode on Cartoon Network years ago and it stuck with me ever since, and even though it’s technically not a Christmas special, it delivers that cozy holiday feeling so well that I always revisit it around Christmastime.
A heatwave… and a cool idea
In the episode, Garfield, Jon, and Odie are suffering through an intense summer heatwave. Desperate for relief, Garfield tries everything — including jumping into a swimming pool, only to watch the water evaporate before he even gets in. Inspiration finally strikes when he spots the refrigerator: if he can’t cool down the world, he can at least cool down his world.
Garfield then drags the fridge outside, cranks the freezer to maximum, and before long he and Odie are happily playing in a patch of artificial “snow.” When Jon discovers what they’re up to, and it obviously inevitably fails, Garfield takes the plan one step further: why not decorate the entire house for Christmas to “think cold”?
Christmas takes over the town
The moment Jon’s home goes full holiday mode, neighbors start assuming that Christmas season has somehow arrived early. One house leads to another, and soon the entire town is decorated as if December had arrived overnight.
As Garfield, Jon, and Odie head out to restock the now-empty fridge, they’re astonished to see that everyone else has embraced the sudden spirit of the holidays, and the situation even escalates into an impromptu gift-opening “Christmas morning” — until a newscaster finally announces that…
well, it’s still July (or August, depending on whom you ask at city council).
A visit from Santa
Late that night, Garfield wakes up to find someone entering the house. To his surprise, it’s none other than Santa Claus himself — also confused about the holiday timeline. Garfield gently reminds him it’s not Christmas yet, and returns to bed amused that even Santa fell for the mix-up.
A Classic “Christmas in July” Tale
It’s said that Heatwave Holiday is a playful take on the “Christmas in July” concept, but with the humor and charm typical of Garfield and Friends, which results in a whimsical comfort-watch cartoon that is suitable for you if you are melting in summer heat or getting into the holiday spirit.
Did you like and/or remember this episode? Don’t forget to leave your thoughts in the comments and, of course, to think cool.
Cheers!
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- Length: 07:40
- Categories: Animated series, Videos
- Views: 6