Christmas is a beloved holiday celebrated by billions around the world. While the official colors of Christmas are red and green, picked to represent the blood of Christ and everlasting life, there are other festive hues associated with this merry season. In this article, we’ll explore the two most popular Christmas colors that come after red and green.
History of Christmas Colors
The tradition of using certain colors to represent Christmas dates back centuries. Red and green were established as the main symbolic colors during the Victorian era in the 19th century. Prior to that, blue was also a very common Christmas color. Blue represents the color of the night sky when the star appeared announcing Jesus’ birth. Red symbolizes the blood Jesus shed, while green represents eternal life and holly plants used for winter decorations. These three colors remain the most traditional holiday palette today.
Beyond red, green and blue, there are other Christmas colors that have become popular over time. Different cultures have their own traditions around colors associated with Christmas festivities. In Japan, Christmas decor is often white or silver. In Norway and other Scandinavian countries, people often incorporate copious amounts of white, silver, gold, and blue into their Christmas decorations. White represents purity and innocence, silver and gold royalty, and blue sky and water.
Gold and Silver
After the traditional red and green, gold and silver are considered the next most popular Christmas colors today. The metallic sheen of gold and silver evokes feelings of sparkle, shine, luxury, royalty, and elegance. These colors pair beautifully with classic red and green for extra flair.
The roots of gold and silver as Christmas colors come from the story of the three wise men visiting baby Jesus. The magi brought precious gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Gold symbolizes these royal gifts, as well as the divine importance of Jesus. Silver is linked to the star of Bethlehem that guided the wise men.
Gold and silver became especially popular during the Victorian era. At this time, Christmas trees were decorated with gilded fruits, candies, glass ornaments and tinsel garlands. The Victorians favored a more opulent aesthetic for the holidays compared to earlier eras. The rise of affordable metal foil paper increased the use of gold and silver decorations.
In modern times, gold and silver remain staple Christmas colors. Gold and silver ornaments are must-haves for Christmas trees. Other holiday decor items like wreaths, garlands, candles, table runners and stockings often come in these lustrous metallic shades. Gold and silver metallic bulbs and baubles can inject some sophisticated glam into any Christmas look.
Where Gold and Silver Are Used
Here are some of the most common ways gold and silver colors are incorporated into Christmas decor today:
– Christmas tree ornaments – Gold and silver ball ornaments and tinsel garlands are extremely popular. Gold and silver stars, snowflakes, birds, butterflies, beads, icicles, sparkling ribbons, and other shapes also adorn many trees.
– Tree toppers – Gold or silver angel tree toppers are a frequent choice. Silver colored stars are also common.
– Garlands and wreaths – Gold and silver accents on wreaths and garlands add elegance and sheen. Gold or silver wired ribbon is another option.
– Candles and lanterns – Gold, silver or mirrored candle holders provide striking light displays.
– Stockings – Metallic gold and silver stockings often embellish mantels and fireplaces.
– Table settings – Gold and silver runners, napkins, plates, cutlery, and candles can create a glamorous holiday table.
– Ornaments – Gold and silver ball ornaments are popular for window, tabletop, and whole room decor.
– Tinsel – Silver tinsel icicles on the tree and silver streamers across the ceiling add shimmer.
– Paper decor – Metallic gold and silver wrapping paper, gift tags and cards also reinforce the theme.
Gold and Silver in Other Cultures
Gold and silver play a significant role in Christmas traditions across different cultures:
– In Sweden, the Julbock or Christmas goat is a common decoration, almost always made of straw and bound with red ribbons. But gilded gold and silver Julbocks are considered most special.
– In Germany, gold and silver are prominent colors for holiday trees and ornaments. Tinsel garlands are extremely popular in Germany.
– In Mexico, gold and silver are included in elaborate Nativity scenes. The three wise men figurines are decorated especially ornately to denote their wealth and status.
– In Norway and Denmark, gold and silver adorn their traditional Julenisse figurines. Gold and silver are also used abundantly on tree ornaments and decorations.
– In Italy, gold and silver lend elegance to Presepe Nativity scenes. Gold foil decorations like stars, moons and angels are common.
– Eastern Orthodox churches feature elaborate gold and silver icon paintings and mosaics depicting biblical scenes like the Nativity.
Gold and silver clearly have significance across many cultural Christmas traditions and remain quintessential holiday colors.
Psychology of Gold and Silver
Beyond their historical and symbolic meanings, the inherent properties of gold and silver explain why they work so well as Christmas colors from a psychological perspective.
Gold and silver are attention-grabbing. Their metallic sheen catches and reflects light, making them shine brightly. This naturally draws the eye, creating points of interest. Ornaments and decorations in these colors stand out nicely against the green branches of a Christmas tree.
The shine and luster of gold and silver connote qualities like:
– Luxury – Gold and silver are precious metals associated with wealth, value and status. Their extravagance helps make Christmas feel special and magical.
– Elegance – The polished metallic finish has an innate elegance and sophistication. Gold and silver add flair to holiday decor.
– Sparkle – Gold and silver have an innate shimmering quality that suggests splendor and radiance. Their glow evokes the sentiment of Christmas as a bright, joyous occasion.
– Royal – The metals’ expense means they have historically been reserved for royalty and divine figures. This reinforces the spiritual significance of Christmas.
– Timelessness – As enduring metals, gold and silver depict the timeless, classic nature of Christmas customs.
This unique combination of traits makes gold and silver emotionally impactful color choices to enliven the Christmas spirit. The colors strike a balance between flashy and refined. They compliment traditional red and green in a more interesting way than many other neutral metals.
Blue
The third most popular Christmas color after red, green, gold and silver is blue. As discussed earlier, blue has a long history as a holiday color. Before Victorian times, blue was even more common than green in Christmas celebrations. Blue represents several key symbolic meanings related to the Nativity story:
– Night sky – The deep blue of the night sky harkens to the starry night when Jesus was born. Carol lyrics also reference the Christmas star’s bright blue glow.
– Water – Blue evokes the water that Jesus walked on and turned into wine during his life. This connects to purity, miracle and sanctity.
– Majesty – Deep blue has regal associations as the color of kings’ and queens’ robes and jewelry. Blue represents Jesus’ royal heritage.
– Heavenly – Light blue recalls the heavens where God and the angels reside. The divine nature of Jesus’ birth inspires decorations in heavenly blue.
– Icy – Blue also captures the icy cold of winter when Christmas takes place in the Northern hemisphere. Icicle lights in blue and silver represent glistening outdoor conditions.
Beyond the religious symbolism, blue has broad appeal as a cool, calming color. Its cool tones contrast nicely with the warm reds and greens traditional to Christmas. Light blue conjures images of snow and winter skies. Navy blue reads as more subtle and neutral than bright red or green when decorators want something more low-key. Blue adds diversity to the classic Christmas palette.
Where Blue Is Used
Some of the most common holiday applications for blue decorations include:
– Ornaments – All shades from pale blue to deep navy ornaments work for trees. Popular choices include glass balls, icicles, peacock feathers, snowflakes, berries, pinecones and owls.
– Lights – Icicle lights and other small bulb strands glow beautifully in blue. Blue tree toppers like stars and angels are also very popular.
– Garlands & wreaths – Blue ornaments, pinecones, berries and wide ribbon are nice accents in green garlands and wreaths.
– Tablescapes – Blue table runners, napkins, dishes and vases help create a cool winter ambiance.
– Stockings – Dark blue stockings with silver accent stitching has become a trendy look.
– Outdoor lighting – Projecting blue lights onto exterior trees, bushes and the house itself creates dramatic winter wonderland displays.
– Paper goods – Vibrant blue gift wrap, gift bags, tissue paper, tags and cards reinforce the color theme.
Blue in Different Cultures
Blue plays varying roles across cultural Christmas customs:
– In Southwestern states like New Mexico, blue is prominent in Nacimientos, a traditional Nativity scene with figurines. Blue evokes the heavenly spiritual nature of Jesus’ birth.
– In Mexico, blue is also important for Posadas, a nine-day celebration leading up to Christmas. Candles are often blue, as is paper decorations like papel picado.
– In Sweden, electric blue Christmas lights are hugely popular for creating a stark wintry ambiance outdoors.
– In Russia, the traditional Ded Moroz grandfather frost figure wears a long blue coat representing icy winter weather.
– In Denmark and Norway, blue lights and ornaments help evoke the blue hour light conditions in Nordic winters.
– In Britain, blue is sometimes used in Christmas crackers — festive table favors which contain treats and paper crowns.
Clearly blue plays an important role in Christmas festivities celebrated by diverse cultures around the world. The global appeal of blue helps explain why it remains high on the list of beloved holiday hues.
Psychology of Blue
On a psychological level, blue has many intrinsic traits that make it well-suited to celebrating Christmas, including:
– Calming – Blue has a serene, relaxing effect linked to slowing metabolism and breathing. The peaceful nature of Jesus’ birth inspires blue ornaments and lights.
– Cooling – Blue’s cool undertones evoke winter weather and the chill in the air when Christmas arrives. Icy blue decorations communicate the cold seasons.
– Mystical – Darker blues conjure a sense of wonder and spirituality. The holy mystery of the Nativity comes through in navy blue tones.
– Minimalist – Light blues have a clean, crisp, unfussy sensibility. They work well for pared-down Christmas looks.
– Nostalgic – Blue can elicit nostalgia for childhood holidays. Vintage style blue glass ornaments and replica 1950s decor items capitalize on this effect.
– Versatile – Blue ranges from bold to subdued. It works with any style from whimsical to formal. Different blues can set completely distinct holiday moods.
– Universal – Unlike red and green, blue has no ideological or religious associations. Winter blue works for audiences celebrating any occasion.
This combination of psychological attributes makes blue a versatile, crowd-pleasing choice for all kinds of holiday decor applications. It fills the gap when red and green seem overly expected or bright.
Other Notable Christmas Colors
Beyond gold, silver and blue, there are a few other Christmas color options that have become more popular in recent years:
– White: Represents purity, snow, icicles, angels’ wings
– Champagne/Bronze: Metallic neutrals implying luxury
– Copper: Rustic, natural tone complementing evergreens
– Plum/Cranberry: Deep elegant accent colors
– Teal: Cool tone contrasting red and green
– Fuchsia: Playful, non-traditional statement hue
– Lime Green/Chartreuse: Vibrant whimsical accent
This shows the color palette for Christmas expands way beyond just two options. Gold, silver and blue may be the most common alternatives, but there are no real rules. Any colors that evoke the desired holiday mood in different decorative applications can work.
Conclusion
Christmas colors have evolved over the centuries beyond just traditional red and green. Gold and silver supply shimmer, shine and elegance. Blue offers wintry ambiance and spiritual emotion. Red, green and blue have the longest history based on symbolic meanings. But gold and silver gained prominence in the Victorian era when holiday decor became more opulent and elaborate.
Today, any combination of colors that help set a festive tone can jazz up Christmas decor. But gold, silver and blue remain go-to favorites year after year for embellishing trees, wreaths, candles, stockings and table settings. Their metallic and cool undertones beautifully balance and accent the classic warm reds and greens. Next time you deck the halls for Christmas, consider weaving gold, silver or blue decorations throughout displays for extra pop and flair. The magic and meaning of the season shine through these special colors in enchanting ways.
| Color | Symbolism | Psychology |
|---|---|---|
| Gold | Wealth, royalty, divinity of Jesus | Luxurious, elegant, shiny |
| Silver | Star of Bethlehem, three wise men’s gifts | Glistening, precious, refined |
| Blue | Night sky, heaven, winter weather | Cooling, calming, mystical |
