The Christmas season is synonymous with the colors green and red. From trees to decorations to Santa’s suit, these festive hues are an integral part of holiday celebrations around the world. But why exactly are green and red the go-to palette for Christmas?
The History of Christmas Colors
The tradition of using green and red as the main Christmas colors actually dates back centuries before the holiday was widely celebrated. Here is a brief overview of how the palette developed over time:
- Pagan Roots: Before Christmas, cultures like the Romans celebrated winter solstice festivals, which incorporated evergreen plants and foliage to symbolize life amid the dark and cold. Red berries were also used.
- Church Influence: As Christianity spread, the Catholic Church sought to replace pagan solstice celebrations with Christmas. They adopted evergreens and introduced red as the color of the apples on the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
- Victorian England: The Victorians cemented red and green as the definitive Christmas colors during the 1800s. Red symbolized the blood of Christ, while green represented eternal life.
- 20th Century: Coke’s Santa and Hallmark’s branding in the 1900s further popularized red and green as quintessential Christmas colors through mass media and marketing.
So while green and red weren’t originally linked to Christmas, they became ingrained in the holiday aesthetic over centuries of changing traditions and cultural influences.
The Symbolism Behind Christmas Colors
Beyond their long history, green and red also carry deep symbolic meaning related to Christmas:
Green
Green has represented vitality, renewal, and the eternal life brought by Christ since pagan winter celebrations. Evergreen trees and plants have been used for winter fests for millennia as symbols that life endures even through the darkest, coldest days.
Bringing evergreens into the home with Christmas trees and garlands signifies that life and hope still flourish despite the winter. The eternal, enduring nature of green trees gives them special meaning during a season centered around faith in regeneration through Christ.
Red
Red symbolizes love, passion, and the sacrifice of Christ in giving his blood for humanity. It also represents the apples on the tree of knowledge that led to the fall of man. Red is a bold, warm color that provides a vivid contrast to winter white.
The poinsettia flower’s red bracts or leaves have also come to represent the blood of Christ. Red is a stimulating color that represents the joyful spirit of the Christmas season.
Psychology of Christmas Colors
Beyond symbolism, green and red may elicit strong psychological and physiological responses that make them well-suited to the sentimental Christmas season:
Green
- Promotes relaxation and reduces anxiety
- Represents naturalness, health, and renewal
- Improves vision and has a positive effect on the eyes
- Symbolizes growth, harmony, and freshness
Red
- Increases metabolism, blood pressure, and respiration rates
- Stimulates brain wave activity and boosts energy
- Associated with love, passion, excitement, and action
- Grabs attention and livens things up
Green has a calming effect which evokes the comfort of the season, while red excites the senses and energizes. The balance of these psychological effects makes red and green an ideal pairing for the nostalgic, invigorating Christmas mood.
Use of Christmas Colors
Green and red dominate Christmas through these traditional decorative elements:
- Christmas Trees – Evergreens are often adorned with red ornaments and bows
- Holly – Has green leaves with red berries
- Mistletoe – Bears white berries and green foliage
- Poinsettias – Red-leafed plants named after an American botanist
- Candy Canes – Red and white striped candies shaped like canes
- Santa Suits – Traditionally red with white fur trim
- Wrapping Paper – Alternates between red and green patterns
- Christmas Lights – Strings of red, green, and sometimes white bulbs
Homes and public spaces are decked out in wreaths, garlands, flowers, bows, ornaments, and lights that contain green and red elements. Using these colors deeply ingrains them into the look and feel of Christmas.
Green and Red in Other Holiday Traditions
Christmas isn’t the only wintertime festival to incorporate green and red:
| Holiday | Use of Green | Use of Red |
|---|---|---|
| Kwanzaa | Green represents hope, vegetation, and Africa | Red symbolizes the blood shed by ancestors |
| Hanukkah | Evergreens are part of Hanukkah bush traditions | Red is featured on dreidels with Hebrew letters |
| Winter Solstice | Evergreens represent enduring life | Red berries from winter plants |
Green and red have carried symbolic meaning and been incorporated into winter holiday decor long before the popularization of Christmas. The colors strongly resonate with themes of renewal, life, and sacrifice integral to many end-of-year festivities.
Conclusion
Green and red have become indelibly linked with Christmas through centuries of evolving holiday traditions. Their ability to represent eternal life, sacrifice, passion, and the stark contrast of spring and winter makes them ideal complements for the December holiday. These colorful constants help maintain Christmas spirit and nostalgia across generations.
So when you spot that evergreen tree glimmering with red baubles this season, remember the rich history and symbolism it represents. Green and red are poised to remain the definitive Christmas colors for centuries to come thanks to the special meaning and sentiment they evoke this time of year.