While most of the festive season traditions we follow have their origins in the northern hemisphere, we are lucky enough to celebrate Christmas in the height of summer — and our celebrations should reflect this.
Lew Geffen Sotheby's International Realty is shining the spotlight on how to throw the perfect festive season celebration. In this guide, you’ll find:
Move over, red, green and gold. Christmas 2024 has some spectacularly unique Christmas colours and festive décor ideas to showcase.
The Christmas Place, a US-based retailer of all things festive, has released a surprising Instagram reel of top Christmas tree trends for 2024, in which Santa has gone retro and the Grinch has given up his grumpy ways to be featured on the Christmas tree.
The good news for lovers of all things classic Christmas is that the traditional red and gold look is still trending this year. Another option is to change things up slightly and combine the festivity of red with the clean-cut sophistication of white.
The traditional silver tinsel look has been taken to the next level with a “mixed metals” look. You can bring this to life through a silver tree adorned with tinsel, baubles and other decorations all in silver. You could also mix the look up with touches of gold or rose gold in your tree or on your coffee table.
Other interior design experts are highlighting a Christmas celebrated in earthy greens and dark browns to complement the overall trend towards biophilic design. The colours in this palate can be zhooshed up with gold accents and warm lighting for a sophisticated festive look.
The jewel tones trend that took Christmas 2023 by storm is showing no signs of moving over, and the use of colours like sapphire blue, amethyst purple, ruby red and emerald green bring a touch of class to every holiday décor scheme.
With plenty of options to choose from, there are three factors to bear in mind when choosing your Christmas colour scheme:
This time of year is all about the 4 Fs: Fun, Festivity, Family and Friends. Whichever festive colour scheme you choose should reflect your personality and how you wish to celebrate.
How to host the perfect Christmas lunch or dinner
The first part of hosting a holiday gathering is creating an idyllic setting – and this will look very different in the Southern Hemisphere to the celebrations of white Christmas up north. If possible, why not host your Christmas meal in the outdoor entertainment area that adds such great value to your home? Set the table using bright table runners and small floral arrangements. For a special touch, add personal touches like name cards or small gifts at each place. If you’re hosting the meal in the evening, decorate with fairy lights and lanterns to create an extra festive ambience.
Planning the menu is another important step in preparing an unforgettable festive feast. Again, the idea of a traditional hot meal of turkey and gammon comes from the northern hemisphere where Christmas is cold. Traditions are made to be broken, and sunny Christmas spreads can consist of cold meats, salads or a braai – to provide just a few examples. Christmas pudding doesn’t need to be hot either — the Australians and New Zealanders came up with the idea of pavlova as an alternative Christmas dessert. This feast of meringue, cream and fresh fruit will tantalise every taste bud.
Creating a relaxed, festive atmosphere is arguably the most important aspect of hosting the perfect Christmas lunch or dinner. First things first: music. Have a playlist ready that’s full of a mix of classic Christmas tunes and upbeat summer songs to keep everyone feeling festive. Planning a few simple games, like Secret Santa or Christmas-themed charades is another great way to keep the mood Christmassy.
If time and your budget allow, make the occasion extra memorable by sending every guest home with a small gift to remember the special festive season celebration that you hosted. A small bag of biscuits wrapped in festive packaging, a small Christmas tree ornament or a small potted plant adds a personal touch to your celebration that your guests can take home.
Creating festive table settings to wow your guests
The first step to creating a festive table setting that turns heads is to choose a colour scheme. Here are three ideas to consider:
Another great festive table setting strategy is to use layered textures and linens. Start with a festive tablecloth as a base and place a table runner down the centre of the table. Use charger plates under your dinner plates to add dimension and sophistication. For added flair (if it works with your colour scheme), you can choose metallic or ceramic chargers.
Incorporating natural elements into your table setting can be another great way to make it memorable, especially if you’re dining al fresco. Adding a centrepiece that’s made from fresh greenery is a great way to say “African Christmas”. Including fresh fruit like pomegranates, mangoes and strawberries will add an immediate festive burst of colour. Fresh flowers like white roses, lilies or arum liles make a beautiful addition. They can be incorporated into the green garland or placed in small vases along the table.
The weather may be warm, but that doesn’t mean your table doesn’t need lighting for warmth. You can add candles (either real or flameless) to the table to add to the festive ambience.
South African Christmas decorations
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Christmas in South Africa is a far cry from the celebrations that take place in the northern hemisphere. For one thing, as already mentioned, we celebrate the festive season in midsummer. Also, thanks to our African crafting heritage, there’s a whole different way of decorating your home for Christmas.
There are two advantages to buying South African beaded and crafted Christmas decorations: firstly, you get to decorate your home with an unforgettable flair and secondly, these investments often mean supporting crafters from disadvantaged communities.
You can invest in South African Christmas decorations online or at various craft markets, and the array on offer is almost limitless. From beaded baubles and other hanging Christmas decorations to pink and red protea wreaths, the sky’s the limit.
South Africa’s age-old braai tradition and love of biltong provide another great idea for a festive South African celebration. Get creative with braai utensils and biltong platters as centrepieces.
Festive season gifting and shopping tips
For many, festive season shopping can be one of the most stressful parts of celebrating Christmas! The key to success here is to start as early as possible. The more time you have to personalise your gifts and get exactly what you want, the better.
The first step in this process — which will help you avoid a stressful January – is to establish your gift-buying budget and decide how much you’ll be able to spend on each person. Next, it’s time to think about what to get for each person within that budget. Depending on the people you’re buying for, experiences can be much better gifts than “things”. Gifts like concert tickets, a cooking class, a spa day or a weekend getaway can be a great solution for those friends and family members who already have everything they need.
Eco-friendly and sustainable gifts are other great ideas that are becoming vastly popular. Reusable products, sustainably made clothing or donations to a charity in someone’s name are all examples of conscious gifting.
Wherever possible, avoid generic gifts and choose something that reflects the recipient’s personality. A gift that aligns with one’s hobbies, interests and lifestyle always makes a more meaningful impact.
Christmas shopping can be an incredibly stressful undertaking, especially as the malls get busier the closer we get to 25 December. Here are three quick tricks for making it bearable:
Last-minute festive decor hacks
You’re not the first person to leave your festive season decorating to the last second and you won’t be the last! The good news is that there are still ways to bring that festive feeling into your home and possibly the best piece of advice to give in this situation is to use what you have rather than using your valuable time to go to the shops. Here are ten ideas to get you inspired:
The fact that you’ve left your Christmas decorating to the last minute doesn’t mean that you can’t have a stunning setup for your celebration. It just means that you have to be a little more creative.
Fun activities to plan for a memorable festive season
Fun activities to plan for a memorable festive season
A festive season celebration is just that: a celebration! If you’re hosting Christmas, another great idea is to plan a few fun games and activities for your guests. Here are a few festive entertainment ideas:
The word game: Give each friend and family member a clothes peg. Choose a word that is forbidden for the day. This could be “Christmas”, “holiday” or “present”, to give just a few examples. If someone accidentally says the taboo word and another guest catches them out, they have to give their peg to the person who heard the word. The object of the game is to collect as many pegs as possible and at the end of a set period, the person with the most pegs can receive a small prize.
Festive movie marathon: Your festive season celebration isn’t necessarily limited to one big lunch or dinner. The leadup to your main celebration offers lots of opportunities for fun activities. For starters, you could host a holiday movie marathon and watch Christmas-themed movies.
Christmas decoration station: You could also have a DIY Christmas decoration-making session in which you gather your people, some craft supplies and some inspiration to create personalised Christmas decorations.
Biscuit-decorating party: Bake (or buy) some cupcakes or biscuits and let everyone decorate them festively with icing, sprinkles and other toppings.
Secret Santa: There are many ways to arrange Secret Santa, but the basic premise is that everyone buys one gift (under an agreed-upon price cap). You can have everyone pick a name at random in advance and buy a gift for that person, or you can have everyone buy a generic gift and make a game to determine who gets which gift.
Your home should inspire you
The festive season is known as a magical time for many great reasons, but topping the list is the opportunity to enjoy quality time with your loved ones. If you’re looking for a home that will allow you to bring your festive dreams to life for next Christmas, get in touch with the Lew Geffen Sotheby’s International Realty team.
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