Sun Valley Group: Holiday Color Series

Traditionally, the Christmas season is dominated by colors of red and green, contrasted against bright white, lustrous metallics, and cool blue. Each color has its own symbolic meaning and historical significance, and over the next few weeks, I'm going to focus on one particular holiday color. This week, we're taking a hint from the world's best-selling single of all time, "White Christmas," with a nod to white flowers for holiday decor.

History of White Christmas

Dickens may have popularized the idea that Christmas should be white with his 1843 tale of redemption, "A Christmas Carol," but it was one century later, when the song "White Christmas" was released to the world, winning an Academy Award, and further enshrining in our minds that white equals Christmas.  White does invoke an atmosphere of wintertime, childhood, and tradition, while also symbolizing the tranquility and peace that can come with the holiday season (if we want it!). The cool tones of white also strike the perfect balance with traditional colors of Christmas: red, green, and gold.

White Lilies

White lilies have always been a popular holiday choice due to their shape, scent, and symbolism.  From as early as 1600 B.C. particular meanings have been associated with the white lily, with ancient Greeks and Romans believing the lily represented purity, fertility, virtue, and prosperity.  In Christian culture, the white lily is a symbol of the innocence and chastity associated with the Virgin Mary.

To read the rest of the story, please go to: Sun Valley Group's Flower Talk