Why do we associate red and green with Christmas – and is it time to branch out?

As December approaches, red and green take center stage in store windows, in homes and in festive advertising. The roots of the red and green Christmas palette are a blend of ancient tradition, nature’s seasonal palette, and a touch of modern advertising genius. The colors, which face each other directly on the color wheel and are therefore complementary, date back to pagan winter festivals, where the evergreen holly with its scarlet berries was a symbol of life and resilience, providing a green backdrop lush in another world. arid winter landscape. Ancient Romans decorated their homes with these hardy plants during Saturnalia, a festival of feasting and revelry marking the solstice, which later merged with early Christmas celebrations.

In Christianity, red acquired sacred symbolism, representing both the blood of Christ and the love that emphasized the Nativity story. Paintings of the Virgin Mary often depicted her in red robes, a color that eventually found its way into festive decorations to honor the Christmas season. The combination of red and green has endured over the centuries, mingling and merging with folklore and spirituality until feeling deeply rooted in the spirit of the holidays.

However, the watershed moment for red and green as Christmas colors was less ethereal and more commercial. In 1931, Coca-Cola’s advertising campaign, featuring a plump, jolly Santa in a bright red suit (a hue closely aligned with the brand’s red), solidified the color association in popular culture. Before Coca-Cola, Santa Claus was depicted in a variety of colors, including beige, green, blue and brown. It was also sometimes drawn with patriotic stars and stripes during the Civil War. The success of the campaign gave red and green new relevance and – much like the power of advertising and commercial messages – permanently enshrined these colors as the colors of Christmas in the public imagination.

Yet, as with many traditions, even the oldest can benefit from a little updating. Additionally, red and green are not the globally accepted Christmas color language: in Norway, purple is much more associated with Christmas (due to its association with royalty, and many associate it with the “King of kings”, Jesus) and in Sweden you will find red, white and gold adorning the trees and gifts.

Interiors this year often favor palettes far removed from the traditional primary versions of red and green, with color experts identifying soft terracotta and biscuit tones as the hues to know right now. Although red and green may seem very festive, red in its most primal form has been shown to increase your heart rate and create stress. So it makes sense to evolve towards something softer and soothing. But if we try to escape the traditional clutches of red and green, where are we headed?

Teal, aqua and orange