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Colorful Christmas Traditions
What’s in a tradition, what does color have to do
with it all?
Traditionally our Christmas colors came from the red
and green of the holly, an evergreen symbolizing blood
and life from pre-Christian nature cultures, and was
then carried forward to represent green as the hope
Christ offers and red symbolizing his blood.
Every year for the past few years, top Christmas
magazines feature Christmas room layouts and decor in
just about every color on the spectrum from purple trees
to lime green ribbons to iced blue and even pink,
ornaments. When I see pink, purple and lime green at
Christmas, I have to say, save it for the Easter bunny.
But it’s a personal matter of belief, of taste, of
culture, of tradition.
It has been proven many times over that color has an
important and powerful effect on us physically,
mentally, and spiritually. The use of color coordinating
to dress for success has shown us that indeed
color plays a role in how we are perceived and what we
may be able to accomplish. Color therapy and treatment
in the psychiatric world have shown that colors can
calm, soothe, irritate or inspire. Ancient yogic
practices include the study and use of color through the
chakras and auras, providing both physical and spiritual
healing. Feng Shui also uses color in decisions
affecting home, life and spiritual harmony. Therefore
the use of traditional Christmas colors may provide a
deeper application than we even understand of and we
should at least be aware in our color selections.
There may be as many different reasons to celebrate
Christmas as there are people who celebrate, and as many
shades of colors to express our feelings of celebration.
What are you expressing this holiday season?
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