Why Do We Use Red & Green for Christmas Colors?
Red and green have come to represent the colors of Christmas. We tend to incorporate these colors in our holiday decorating, present wrapping and even clothes. Green and red cover our Christmas tables and light up the Empire State Building. When it comes to determining how these colors came to be associated with Christmas, there are several schools of thought. Does this Spark an idea?
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Religion
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In Catholic beliefs, the colors red and green correlate directly to Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ was nailed to a cross and crucified so that all people would have the chance to be saved--the color red is meant to symbolize the blood that Christ shed during this time. Green is the color of all things living; it represents the hope for eternal life that is possible because of Christ's sacrifice.
The "Paradise Play"
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During the Middle Ages, churches held Miracle Plays to teach the public about important religious events. A popular one performed on Dec. 24 was titled the "Paradise Play." The "Paradise Play" told the story of Adam and Eve. It showed how they were created, their sin of sampling an apple from the forbidden tree and eventually their exile from Eden. The scenery used for this play was a Paradise Tree, a green fir tree decorated with red apples.
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Surviving the Winter
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During the harsh winter, hardly any plants blossom, let alone survive. The few plants that do endure and prosper during the winter season eventually became associated with Christmas, a winter celebration. Holly, with its green leaves and red berries, was thought to drive away evil spirits and was placed over doorways to protect those who lived within. Other red and green plants that symbolize Christmas are poinsettias, evergreens, firs and mistletoe.
Red & Coca-Cola
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Many people believe Santa Claus dons a red suit because of Coca-Cola's signature red color, but this is untrue. In 1862, a Civil War cartoonist named Thomas Nast began drawing Santa in a tan suit. He continued to draw him for 30 years; somewhere during that time, he changed the color of Santa's suit to red. Since then, artists have continued portraying Santa in red. In the 1930s, the Coca-Cola Co. hired artist Haddon Sundblom to design Santa Claus advertisements. Sundblom depicted Santa in the red suit for the company's winter ad campaign.
Decorations
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Ever since green and red developed as our primary Christmas colors, we have used them as a major part of our holiday decorating. One of the largest Christmas icons is the green Christmas tree. People adorn their front doors with green wreaths and hang mistletoe in doorways. The suit which Santa Claus wears is red, and so is the nose of his reindeer, Rudolph. Red and green also are popular colors in Christmas lights, bows, stockings, candles and ornaments.
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- Photo Credit christmas image by Horticulture from Fotolia.com
