This article was written by The Zillennial Zine’s senior fall editorial intern Maggie Lardie. Find her on Instagram at @maggielardie. If you would like to share an article with The Zillennial, send us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com.
We all know Christmas for its twinkling lights, festive gatherings and inviting atmosphere, but a recent online development has turned the warm and cheery holiday concept on its head. Over the past couple days, the dark Christmas or black Christmas tree aesthetic has taken over my for you page, and it seems I’m not alone. Videos describing the dark Chsitmas aesthetic have quickly been gathering likes and changing viewers’ perspectives on the holiday. Gone are the days of questioning whether white or rainbow lights look better on a Christmas tree – this takes the debate to a whole new level! Since Christmas is just around the corner, we’ve compiled a list of things to do if you’re planning on capturing the dark Christmas aesthetic this year.
What Is The Dark Christmas Aesthetic?
Before we get into the list, it’s probably important that you know what the aesthetic is! The best way we can describe it is Christmas with a haunted, gothic or ancient twist. Many users reference Yule, an older holiday that celebrates the winter solstice and the return of the light as the days grow longer. Yule is actually where many of our classic Christmas traditions originated. As for the aesthetic itself, if you’ve ever read A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, then you might understand the energy we’re going for here. All the classic elements of Christmas are kept the same (the tree, the lights, the food), but this aesthetic brings a more mature, intense quality to the celebration.
Now that we’ve got that out of the way, here are some things you can do to achieve the dark Christmas aesthetic.
Lighting
What’s Christmas without a little light?. Starting with the lighting is one of the easiest and most effective ways to achieve a desired look. For this aesthetic, candlelight is your best friend. While we don’t necessarily recommend adding candles to your Christmas tree (that could go very wrong!), that doesn’t mean you can’t still achieve the desired effect. Buy some warm, white lights to wrap around your tree that will replicate the glow of a candle.
As for the candles themselves, they’ll look amazing as part of your table centerpiece! We get that using them as the main source of lighting can be inconvenient, so wherever you decide to place them will be perfect. Battery-operated candles also work well in the windows of your home. A lot of them have a timer, so your home will be glowing through the night!
In addition to candles on the table, you can also decorate your house and Christmas tree with custom neon signs.
Unlike traditional LED lights, neon signs can bring more colorful effects. You can choose some classic Christmas elements to customize neon signs, such as Santa Claus, snowflakes, Christmas stockings, and other patterns, and hang them on the Christmas tree and around the house.
When night falls, light up these custom neon signs, which will project charming light and shadow, and your home will look like a dreamy Christmas paradise, full of a happy holiday atmosphere.
Decorations
Just like we mentioned in our Little Women Christmas article, anything that you’re able to do yourself will add a lot to the atmosphere! Dried orange, cranberry and popcorn garlands or a high-quality artificial Christmas garland are a big hit with this kind of thing. Along with this, go for deeper, darker or more muted versions of the classic Christmas colors found in your decorations. It will make any space look more sophisticated and elegant. Use this palette in your ornaments, tablecloths and wrapping paper to pull the look together. When it comes to your tree, try to keep it as minimalist as you can. Dark ribbon or tinsel would be good to hang, since their presence isn’t so overwhelming that it makes the tree look cluttered.
To create a beautiful and not overly complicated Christmas tree, you need to use simple and elegant decorations. You can match the Christmas tree with small metal pendants, which can instantly attract the eye and become the highlight of the Christmas tree.
Custom ornaments can be designed with patterns of bells, snowflakes, and elk. The addition of these Christmas elements will enhance the Christmas atmosphere. You can also design customized Christmas ornaments with family names and hang them at the door to greet every visiting guest. Let them also feel the warm family atmosphere.
This Christmas, decorate your home with customized decorations with Christmas elements and let this exquisiteness and beauty accompany you through an unforgettable holiday.
Media
Now that you’ve decorated all you can, it’s time to sit back, relax and enjoy some dark Christmas-inspired media. Here are some we recommend that channel the aesthetic:
- A Christmas Carol (whatever rendition it is, it works!)
- The Nutcracker: seeing the ballet is a huge Christmas tradition, but if you prefer, there are movie versions of the classic tale!
- Whatever version of Little Women you like best (admittedly, there are some pretty cheerful scenes, but we think it still fits the overall vibe)
What do you think of the dark Christmas aesthetic? Let us know in the comments!
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