When you think of how the holidays looked in the early 2000s they consisted of mostly bright red bows, green garlands, and blinking multicolored lights. Compared with how homes decorate today, you will notice something more than just changing taste. It seems like Christmas has gradually lost most of its boldness of color and celebratory visual energy.
The vibrant hues of Christmas, once a staple of the holiday season, seem to be fading away. The traditional red and green color scheme, symbolic of joy, love and festivity, has given way to more muted tones in recent years. The idea of everything needing to be subtle and sophisticated has been taking away originality and color. Decorations were more maximalist; heavy tinsel, lots of baubles, bold colors and textures.
Today, tik tok, pinterest, and instagram drive trends like hot cocoa bars, pastel christmas themes, grinch decor or boho trees. Neutral tones, gold and white, minimalist ornaments, matching stockings, and elegant ribbons.
For comparison, Christmas in the early 2000s had rooms filled from top to bottom with colorful lights and adorned with ‘tacky’ but happy decorations, giving life to what Christmas really is: a joyful and familiar holiday, now there are muted tones of beige, white, and pastels.
According to an article by viking fusion, “What was once a celebration of vibrant reds, greens and shimmering lights has been replaced by a muted, minimalist aesthetic.”
Social media is the main reason for the loss of ‘life’ in Christmas. Trends such as beige Christmas and the idea that less is more, adds on to the loss of color during the holidays. If you search up Christmas decor ideas on social media platforms, you will find yourself looking at white lights, some green here and there, and maybe some gold, but the original hue of Christmas is nowhere to be found.
Rather than mourning the loss of colorful christmases, let’s revive creativity, and let the season glow once more to brighten the moment and eventually our memory.
