Holiday Table Settings to Bring Cheer and Love
The holidays are the perfect time to gather together in celebration and love, and meals are one of the main ways to do this. Designing a beautiful table, as well as key areas of our home, sets the tone for laughter, inspiring conversations, and delicious meals.
Entryways welcome guests with warmth and cheer. Hanging a wreath on your door is a long-standing tradition that dates back to ancient civilizations, symbolizing immortality, rejuvenation and renewal. You can make your own wreath by cutting evergreens and adding a red bow and a few pinecones on a wire or vine base if you’d like, or simply buy one.
Fun little fact: In early civilizations, people wore wreaths around their head (like Greek athletes and the Persian Empire), waist or neck. These days, it’s a whole lot easier to let the door wear the wreath, while we choose fun sweaters. One of my favorites is this LOVE sweater.
The exterior entryway is also a great place to add a vintage sled, a small tree or other whimsical holiday décor.
Inside, entryways can welcome guests with fresh flowers, candles, garland, lights or just about anything you please. Candles are especially important in entryways and on tables, since this is the darkest time of the year; they remind us to carry the light within ourselves and spread it to others.
Lighting a menorah has been a Hanukkah ritual for at least 1,800 years; the eight white candles signify the miracle of how one day’s worth of oil provided eight days of light — yet another reminder of the power of light during darker days.
The use of red and green jeweled tones began in ancient times and continue into modern Christianity because green represents the color of life, just as evergreen trees remain vibrant in the dead of winter. Red berries played a role in winter solstice festivities, and, in Christianity, they represent the love and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Poinsettias combine these colors perfectly and grow all year long.
Whether you’re religious or not, blue and white hues, and/or green and red tones, can be incorporated through dishes, placemats, tablecloths, napkins, candles, vases and flowers.
Speaking of flowers, a refreshing way to decorate a table involves pink roses or tulips; they add a Victorian flair to your atmosphere, while also reminding everyone of the promise of spring and rebirth. China, either floral or white, adds to the elegance.
Likewise, white tulips or magnolias with greenery set upon a white tablecloth lend a clean and crisp feel to your table design.
And, it’s always fun to play off of the rustic quality of our mountains with heavier, ceramic dishes, chunkier metal candlesticks, a centerpiece bowl filled with pinecones and a plaid or striped table runner.
Another casual way to decorate revolves around winter activities like skiing and ice skating. A friend incorporated a chairlift that actually runs, built a mountain of snow and added ice-skate themed appetizer dishes and nutcrackers for a playful take on season. Last year, she used the same chairlift but built a themed village throughout the table, reminiscent of a ski town.
Basically, anything goes when it comes to decorating for the holidays: Shiny or subdued, sacred or sporty, let your table and home reflect your style.
