Williamsburg Christmas Decorations

Can you believe that it’s only 10 days until Christmas? With all the rush-rush of holiday activities going on right now, it’s time for a little merriment! It’s time to see more of the creative decorations that adorn Colonial Williamsburg!

How do you like this stunning wreath comprised of a wheat base, colorful strawflowers, and a few sunflowers? This color combination is especially vibrant on a dark teal door.

The history of their famous Christmas decorations begins in 1936 and has evolved over the years. Colonial Williamsburg gardeners make the decorations for the shops and buildings open to the public. Natural materials are emphasized. The use of fruit would have been greatly frowned upon back in the day of our colonial ancestors because of  scarcity and cost. But it is frequently seen in the Williamsburg style.

A minimal approach to accent pine greenery gives a statement of simple elegance. Shadows dance in the early morning light of this doorway. Bittersweet and whole oranges provide effortless accents.

Decorations are also not limited to wreaths and pine roping. Greenery bouquets are frequently seen tucked into corners of windows, nestled between a painted shutter and a candle light.

There are about 85 residents in the village area, and they participate in a judged decorating contest. A total of six blue ribbons are awarded, with four presented to individuals that made the creations themselves and two presented to professionally created displays. The judging criteria consider creativity and use of authentic materials.

Some of the displays are quite inventive! This one consists of an inner ring made of coffee beans and ceramic coffee mugs.

And architectural features are not left out of the show. Here a porch pediment is bejeweled with a russet-colored arrangement of dried flowers, pine cones, and dried orange slices.

I hope you enjoyed this little jaunt with me!  I’ll have another post in a few days to show you more examples of classic Colonial Williamsburg decorations!