Why Are Christmas Colors Red and Green?

Did you know that Santa's robes were not always depicted as red and white? 

Did you know that Holly and its association with the winter holidays dates back further than Jesus?

Jump back in time with me for a moment and let's have a look at some Victorian era Christmas Cards, shall we? What do you notice?

The depiction we have in our heads of Santa Claus being a jolly old man in a fur-trimmed red suit is actually a relatively modern one. In 1931, Coca-Cola hired an artist to create an image of Santa Claus. This was hardly the first time a company had created their own spin on the beloved winter character, but Coke's ad campaign and marketing scheme that year was so successful that the image stuck - forever cementing together the red and white of a Coca-Cola bottle (or can) and our beloved Santa Claus.

Up until that point, depictions of Santa Claus were never consistent. Sometimes he was a tall, thin man in blue (as seen above) and sometimes he was a squat Jultomten that more so resembled a pesky garden gnome than the holiday manifestation of gift-giving.

But there's a much older and more ancient reason we collectively decided that a jolly, round red Santa was the "real one". People around the world were already associating red and green as festive, winter colors.

Enter the Holly plant.

Revered by ancient Celts, Druids, and Norsemen as an evergreen, the vibrant hues of green and red offset the cold and white gloom of snowy winter. They used Holly in their homes as decoration for Yule, since the plant was believed to bring good luck and protection - something desperately needed on the darkest day of the year.

The Romans also gifted sprigs of Holly to friends for Saturnalia, which was later adopted as a custom by early Christians. In order to mitigate any controversy over the use of "pagan" tradition, Holly became associated with Jesus Christ - said to spring up from under his footsteps, with the red berries and thorny bits representing his pain and suffering.

But I would be remiss to leave out the other colors that often make an appearance as festive this time of year. Gold and silver are popular hues with which to decorate as well - in many cases representing the return of the brilliant sun and the brightly shining stars on the darkest day of the year. On a personal note, I tend to associate silver with snow and cold and gold with fire and warmth.

Do you decorate for the holidays with red and green? What do they mean to you?