Why did red and green become Christmas colors?

Before they were associated with Christmas, red and green were associated with Celtic winter celebrations, which revered holly for its evergreen (and red) properties, even in the bleak, cold months. That, combined with the colors’ use on religious screens, planted the seeds that make most of us associate red and green with Christmas—and, America being what it is, of course, capitalism played a role as well. According to NPR, in the Victorian era, Christmas had a much wider and varied palette, which featured combinations of red and green, red and blue, blue and green, or blue and white—and that included Santa Claus’ signature outfit. It wasn’t until 1931 that a particular brand’s ad campaign really pushed the red, green, and round images of Christmas that we know today. Arielle Eckstut, the co-author of Secret Language of Color, told NPR, “Coca-Cola hired an artist to create a Santa Claus. They had done this before, but this particular artist created a Santa Claus that we associate with the Santa Claus today in many ways: He was fat and jolly—whereas before he was often thin and elf-like—and he had red robes. … And so the fact that all these things came together—this friendly, fat Santa in these bright red robes, which, I don’t think is a coincidence, match the color of the Coke logo—this really took hold in American culture.” The juxtaposition of a plump, red-coated Santa Claus in front of a hunter-green backdrop popularized the combination, Eckstut says, noting, “It solidified in our collective imaginations the red of Santa’s robes with the green of fir trees and holly and poinsettia that we already had in our minds. … This particular shade of red and green came to signify Christmas.”

Gold and silver take the No. 3 and No. 4 spots in terms of Christmas color popularity—and they both beautifully complement red and green, so it makes sense! Of course, white is also up there (thanks to snow, Santa’s beard and candy cane stripes), or else “White Christmas” would be totally irrelevant.

The four most popular Christmas colors are red, green, gold and silver, respectively.

What do Christmas colors mean?

While Coca-Cola had a hand in popularizing red for Christmas, nature also plays a role in the popularity of red and green. Eckstut told NPR that holly—commonly used in winter holiday decor—had a hand in making red and green so ubiquitous in December. “Holly has played a huge part in this red and green association, and it dates back to winter solstice celebrations with the Romans, and maybe beyond,” she said. “And also, holly is associated with the crown of thorns of Jesus. And just those beautiful bright red berries and those deep green leaves are the exact colors that we really come to think about when we think about Christmas.” Traditionally, red is considered to represent the blood of Jesus Christ, while green is a nod to the everlasting life Christians believe that he brings. White marks holiness and light, while gold can represent the sun—as well as the Son, referring to Christ himself being the Son of God. Another little-celebrated Christmas color? Purple, which is actually the official color of Advent, the 40 days before Christmas, is a popular Christmas color among more devout Catholic circles—which explains why you see it in so many Catholic churches. Next, these 100 best Christmas quotes are guaranteed to get you into the holiday spirit!