The traditional Christmas colors of red and green are still evident in many homes. They have been the dominant Christmas colors for decades. But many decorators and daring homemakers are rejecting them in favor of different colors.
People are beginning to see their Christmas trees as decorative accessories to their homes. Last year’s Christmas issue of Traditional Home magazine showed decorations in all-white, gold, or pastel tones. They say people want a feeling of serenity at Christmas and they don’t want to dispel that mood with a jolt of traditional color.
Some designers say red promotes anxiety and green excitement. They are opposites that don’t lend themselves to a feeling of unity and harmony.
At Pantone Color Institute, the organization that sets color standards around the globe, they say that when the two colors are together, each makes the other more intense. The eye feels it as a vibration.
Some versions of red and green are now high on the style list. Colors as found in nature such as evergreen wreaths and red cranberries, for example, are in style. And muted variations, such as olive and raspberry tones are less likely to upset lofty sensibilities.
But when all is said and done, the colors of Christmas that are traditional in your own family could be the most beautiful of all, in spite of their position on the Pantone color chart.
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