Theme colour of Christmas 2020

How hard would it be to imagine a Christmas without red and green colours? Every year these are the principal colours we use to decorate our homes during this festive time of celebration. And yet other colours interweave into the family decorations - white, gold & blue also fall on the list. It’s not just marketing - the reasons behind the use of the traditional Christmas colours have both religious & historical origins.

Take green, the Romans used fir trees to decorate their temples & in Northern Europe evergreen trees were thought to keep away evil spirits & illness. These trees were put up during the shortest day of the year, or winter solstice, as a reminder that the summer would return and plants would grow again.

Other iconic evergreen plants like holly, ivy & mistletoe have been used for thousands of years to brighten up homes and within home decorations such as design your own gifts like the pretty personalised engraved slate heart wall hanging.

Santa of course is a mainstay of the Christmas season. Many people associate his red and white dress with the colours of a can of Coke popularised by Coca Cola’s advertising in the 1930’s. In fact Father Christmas’ familiar red & white garb dates back to a variety of sources.

These include Saint Nicholas, a 4th century Greek bishop, who famously wore red robes while giving gifts to the poor, especially children. The English version of the same figure who we know as Father Christmas originally wore green robes but these turned to red over time. And in the US, the idea of Santa Claus as a red robed present giving patron saint developed in the 1800’s to stem raucous partying the night before Christmas transforming it into a more peaceful family affair.

While red & green top the charts during Christmas, gold, blue & white or silver often follow suit. Gold symbolizes the gift from the three wise men, blue represents Mother Mary & the rich blue robes she was often seen in, and white is often associated with the purity of Jesus and peace. Snow too is a significant reference point in the use of white around Christmas time.

The colour combinations people use in their homes for decorating at this symbolic time of year brings out creativity. This year is the year of blue, cobalt blue specifically. And this may lead to a blue decorative theme to your home and what you wear over Christmas.

People understandably devote time & effort to make great memories. It may be that your tree is green, your baubles are blue but that every member of the household decides to have a personalised hoodie using any festive theme like Father Christmas, a Christmas tree or a snowman. Designing your own Christmas gift is also an inventive way to add to your enjoyment of the festive season. Because it’s not just the colour which adds a special something to Christmas, it’s the messages to loved ones & the valuing of people who are close to us - and these can come in any colour, shape and size.