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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not really like red and green traditional Christmas decoration colours ?

66 replies

redandgreenchristmas · 03/12/2023 10:44

Is anyone else with me ?

My H loves the red and green stuff- think home alone style.

Personally I'm all into golds / champagnes / sage green and neutral Christmas tones.

My tree has some red in it, just because he thinks it's not Christmas without red.

I'm planning to decorate my table with very little red and I want to use sage greens/ cream/ gold / champagne gold / natural / neutral stuff to decorate.

I have just ordered some napkin rings that are natural wood and have some green pine and a bit of red holly on them. I'm planning to use sage green napkins.

My H would go all out with red and green everything if it was up to him.

OP posts:
ProvisionsOnTheDock · 03/12/2023 10:48

I'm with him. I like the traditional symbolism. The red and green represent the berries and the leaves. There wouldn't have been much gold or champagne around in pagan times.

ElleLeopine · 03/12/2023 10:50

It's personal choice, isn't it? The old chestnut of wouldn't life, or Christmas in this case, be boring, if we all decorated our homes and trees in the same colour?

BlazingWorld · 03/12/2023 10:51

I think gold is just as much a Christmas colour as green and red. Also silver.
I love Christmas and I love tradition but I have never seen it as an exclusively red and green event! Green is the tree and the foliage, anyway

shivawn · 03/12/2023 10:51

I'm with you OP but I don't like those colours in general when it comes to home decor so they'd look out of place in my house. My decorations are mostly whites, golds and pinks.

Sahara123 · 03/12/2023 10:52

We’re all different and that’s fine but personally I like the green and red of holly and berries and dislike gold and silver type of decorations, it seems so cold . Plus I’ve built up a collection of baubles etc over the years and don’t want to change anything, my now adult children love the familiarity of coming home to see their favourite things , it’s comforting I think.

Zamzamzamdeedah · 03/12/2023 10:54

My tree has some red in it, just because he thinks it's not Christmas without red.
I'm planning to decorate my table with very little red and I want to use sage greens/ cream/ gold / champagne gold / natural / neutral stuff to decorate.

"Our tree" and "our table" is what you wanted to say.
You both live there so you both get a say and both should have things each likes.

Grumpynan · 03/12/2023 10:54

My DH is much the same, we have a table cloth green and covered with little santas, it’s fun and happy but not what I like for Christmas table. We have a lovely deep soft green cloth with a few very muted large gold stars on which I think is lovely, understated Christmas. I personally would use the Santa one Christmas Eve and meals with the grandchildren, but Christmas Day use my star one. But not DH it’s Santa all the way. To top it off, one year we were given Christmas place mats, ok they’re fun and I love them, but not for the big meal, and they clash terribly with the Santa cloth 😂, but yes fun.

he likes tinsel swagged on pictures and round windows, I like garlands. I’m really trying to do a garland swagged on the mantle this year, what he did last year was lovely, but I want a more swagged look

To not really like red and green traditional Christmas decoration colours ?
NuffSaidSam · 03/12/2023 10:56

I'm with your DH, love the decorations of my 90's childhood, very Home Alone 😂

But YANBU to like something different obviously.

YABU if you're not letting your DH have anything he likes though. It's fine to be dull and boring with your neutral tones. It's not ok to inflict that sort of Christmas on your nearest and dearest. Find a way to have both.

CatMandarin · 03/12/2023 10:56

Your colour scheme sounds nice. Red and green baubles seem popular at the moment. I don't tend to have green baubles, just have the greenery of the tree and wreath, garlands. I have a bunch of tree decs which has been added to over the years, no colour scheme. The wreath and garland has red berries, cones and cinnamon sticks

TammyJones · 03/12/2023 11:04

BlazingWorld · 03/12/2023 10:51

I think gold is just as much a Christmas colour as green and red. Also silver.
I love Christmas and I love tradition but I have never seen it as an exclusively red and green event! Green is the tree and the foliage, anyway

Agree.
Your colour scheme sounds great op.
Is your dh cooking then?
If he's leaving it you, crack on Grin

Freefree · 03/12/2023 11:08

Both colour schemes sound nice.
Personally I absolutely love the home alone style of Xmas.
I think a compromise to meet in the middle is fine. Or do one year with your scheme and one with his.

OrigamiOwl · 03/12/2023 11:11

Zamzamzamdeedah · 03/12/2023 10:54

My tree has some red in it, just because he thinks it's not Christmas without red.
I'm planning to decorate my table with very little red and I want to use sage greens/ cream/ gold / champagne gold / natural / neutral stuff to decorate.

"Our tree" and "our table" is what you wanted to say.
You both live there so you both get a say and both should have things each likes.

Absolutely agree with this. It is the home belongs to both of you, as does the table. Both of you need to compromise, you can't just over rule him.

mrswhiplington · 03/12/2023 11:11

You'd hate my house. We've got a right mish mash of all colours. Stuff from years ago and some more recent. If it makes us smile, up it goes.😄

Original poster
redandgreenchristmas · 03/12/2023 11:12

I have some red baubles on the tree and a red Christmas tree skirt fitting with that theme. On the table I'm going with the green and red in the napkin rings. So I'm not entirely ignoring the style.

Our home is white neural, which he also loves. So dumping too much colour on it, wouldn't match anyway.

OP posts:
Original poster
redandgreenchristmas · 03/12/2023 11:15

Oh god just because I said my tree and my table.

He literally makes all big design decisions in our home because if I make any, they're always wrong and I pay for it for years....

I'm including some of his stuff in the decorating, but taking the lead, for once.

I'm of sorry for it. I usually take a back seat on any permanent stuff because I don't hear the end of it otherwise.

I don't feel bad about it. In fact I said I want to have more say in our style and house generally and I'm not going to be afraid anymore. I literally told him last week.

OP posts:
Testina · 03/12/2023 11:15

It depends.
Some people just prefer champagne and sage. All power to them.
Some people are unbearable snobs about strong and traditional colours and their “neutral” is actually “bland” and says more about their need to follow Pinterest than it does about their actual personal taste… which they’ve never really developed because they’re slaves to Instagram.
I speak as someone with lots of light grey walls by the way 😆

Testina · 03/12/2023 11:15

“He literally makes all big design decisions in our home because if I make any, they're always wrong and I pay for it for years....”

Bloody hell.

I’d be asking Santa for a new husband, one without the arsehole feature enabled.

EasternStandard · 03/12/2023 11:17

I agree I usually avoid this combination

Testina · 03/12/2023 11:19

“Our home is white neural, which he also loves. So dumping too much colour on it, wouldn't match anyway.”

That makes no sense. Surely the point of white neutral is that it’s neutral so works with anything?
Plus that’s kinda my point about the bland proliferation of Instagram… it doesn’t have to match. Gaudy is an acceptable Xmas theme in itself! Not that it even has to be gaudy. But the origins about some of these traditions is all about bringing colour and joy and interest into the home to see you through literally dark times. Traditionally you’d bring in an evergreen bough - not the leafless twigs!

Original poster
redandgreenchristmas · 03/12/2023 11:23

Testina · 03/12/2023 11:19

“Our home is white neural, which he also loves. So dumping too much colour on it, wouldn't match anyway.”

That makes no sense. Surely the point of white neutral is that it’s neutral so works with anything?
Plus that’s kinda my point about the bland proliferation of Instagram… it doesn’t have to match. Gaudy is an acceptable Xmas theme in itself! Not that it even has to be gaudy. But the origins about some of these traditions is all about bringing colour and joy and interest into the home to see you through literally dark times. Traditionally you’d bring in an evergreen bough - not the leafless twigs!

Edited

I don't know, maybe I just can't see it but to me the red and green theme for Christmas, goes better with that dark wooden furniture and those classic fabric sofas etc.

My house is very neutral in the sense that we have a lot of taupe, cream, light walls. Our wood is all that kind of light grey / taupe wood.

I don't think red goes in our home at all. Green more, but red doesn't really.

But perhaps you're right and it doesn't matter if it matches.

OP posts:
piddocktrumperiness · 03/12/2023 11:24

Jumping on this thread as I am for the first time buying a fresh tree. Do I get Fir or Spruce? I like the bushy upwards looking ones with little gaps, but also a little slimmer than the traditional trees?

Totally clueless but going to tree farm and unsure where to start

EasternStandard · 03/12/2023 11:25

If you want other colours that’s ok op

Your version sounds nice

Original poster
redandgreenchristmas · 03/12/2023 11:34

piddocktrumperiness · 03/12/2023 11:24

Jumping on this thread as I am for the first time buying a fresh tree. Do I get Fir or Spruce? I like the bushy upwards looking ones with little gaps, but also a little slimmer than the traditional trees?

Totally clueless but going to tree farm and unsure where to start

If you want to get it now, I would recommend a fake tree personally. I love real trees but I haven't managed to make them last long. So now I just have a fake one.

We have underfloor heating, which I think doesn't help.

If you want a real one, you're probably better off getting it the week before Christmas.

OP posts:
Testina · 03/12/2023 11:36

“I don't think red goes in our home at all. Green more, but red doesn't really.

But perhaps you're right and it doesn't matter if it matches.”

It just sounds utterly joyless.
I don’t mean that about the actual colours - but the process. Caring so much about matching and the perfect look.

Testina · 03/12/2023 11:37

I always have a real one from the first week of December. No issues at all. The subtle smell is lovely, and the natural variation in the shape. Just keep it well watered.

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