Christmas is a time when tradition really comes to the fore—it’s a time to create wonderful new traditions and to revisit classic ones that you have enjoyed for years. Decorating your home for the season and preparing gifts and food for friends and family offer some of the loveliest ways to enjoy traditions old and new in your home during this holidays.
Use sweet-smelling evergreen branches as decoration in your stairwell, entwined in a wreath, draped artfully on a mantel or in a beautiful table centrepiece dotted with jewel-coloured pomegranates. Be creative and consider other greenery such as fragrant eucalyptus or even olive leaves as a base for your decorations and you can then layer in berries, fruit, dried flowers and seed pods for texture and colour.
Although they are not in season, why not use white or pale pink roses as a centrepiece on your table or add pink tulips to your seasonal greenery for a pretty twist? This is also a perfect time to showcase early flowering bulbs like statuesque amaryllis or heady-scented hyacinth in pudding bowls and tureens for added decoration.
Take time to create handmade gifts like a pretty jar of salted caramel or some gingerbread cookies for friends and family. Nothing says ‘Holiday Season’ better than the sweet smell of fresh baking filling your home as the snow falls softly outside.
And as the days shorten and darken towards the Winter Solstice, make sure you have lots and lots of candles on hand to add a twinkling background light which hints at the magic of the season. Flickering candlelight also plays beautifully off metals like gold flatware and brass candlesticks on a thoughtfully laid table.
Oh and whatever your favourite tradition of the season, don’t forget the all-important mistletoe! —Louise
Images above via Domino (left) & Dreamy Whites (right)
