Planning and decorating for Christmas can be tricky enough as it is without bad luck befalling your home during the holidays, which is why Feng Shui experts recommend adhering to some strict rules to protect your home from bad energy.
From avoiding certain decor to picking out the best colors for festive Feng Shui, creating good Feng Shui at Christmas can have a big impact on how successful your festivities are, experts believe.
These are the six most important Feng Shui Christmas decorating rules you might want to consider each holiday season.
Feng Shui Christmas decorating rules
Anjie Cho, the holistic interior designer and Feng Shui expert points out that there are no 'Feng Shui Christmas rules' as such, but guidance that we can take from traditional Feng Shui principles and the meaning of Feng Shui to inform our decorating decisions to help improve the flow of energy.
With that in mind, this is what the pros suggest.
1. Balance out the fire element to avoid disagreements
When it comes to Feng Shui, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. The goal for Christmas feng shui is to create balance in the space, which means paring back the Christmas light ideas, or mixing them with more relaxed elements to help counteract the overwhelming fire element, explains Anna Lippett, Feng Shui expert, and holistic designer and director.
‘Festive decor is synonymous with twinkling lights, candles, roaring fires, and rich red colors, all of which carry more Yang energy and activate the element of fire.
‘Fire represents passion, energy, and excitement, however, too much can lead to overstimulation and anger or aggression – things we all want to avoid during the holidays,’ she says.
‘White, silver, gold, even black decorations can help to balance out the fiery energy of traditional Christmas decor schemes.’
Anna came from a traditional interior design background (and a corporate career in health and wellness before that!) – both of which gave her insight into the challenges felt by so many in their homes and workspaces.
2. Keep the tree in a place of prominence
Working out where to put a Christmas tree for Feng Shui is one of the more difficult aspects of the decorating process.
Anjie Cho, interior designer, suggests keeping your Christmas tree in a position of prominence. This means placing it towards the center of your home or the entryway to help welcome your family in and encourage them to gather around – just be sure that it is not blocking any main walkways to maintain the flow of people and energy.
The tree is a symbol of family, making it perfect for promoting good luck and positive energy during the festive season, she says.
It helps to have a living, potted Christmas tree to help boost this positive energy, but Anna Lippett, Feng Shui expert, adds that a cut tree can be special too. ‘Just remember to show gratitude to the tree for giving its life to be in your home, and make a ritual out of watering and nourishing it to stop a Christmas tree from drooping.’
Anjie Cho is a creator of holistic spaces, specifically focused on designing architectural interiors, and teaching feng shui and meditation. She is the author of Mindful Homes and Holistic Spaces.
3. Use personal decor to channel good luck with family
While keeping the energy flowing is a must during the holiday season, a common Feng Shui mistake to avoid at home is stripping your home of any personality in favor of keeping surfaces clear and free from clutter.
Anna Lippett, Feng Shui expert and designer urges you to decorate with family mementos, sparkly lights, and meaningful decorations.
‘This is a wonderful way to connect with the abundance and vitality of tree energy to enhance your wellbeing,’ she explains.
This picture frame tree ornament features intricately molded silver-plated branches accented by leaves designed to resemble butterflies.
4. Avoid sharp and pointy decor
Sharp and pointed objects are some of the unluckiest items to have in your home for Feng Shui.
When it comes to Christmas decor, it is therefore important to do away with any harsh tree toppers or pointed baubles, keeping your Christmas tree theme on the softer side for positive energy, reminds Millie Hurst, Solved section editor at Homes & Gardens.
Stick with rounded baubles and other traditional Christmas tree toppers such as angels to remove any risk of sharp, spikey energy that may contribute to negative energy and disagreements.
Millie Hurst is Section Editor at Homes & Gardens, overseeing the Solved section, which provides readers with practical advice for their homes. Millie has written about and tried out countless cleaning and DIY hacks in the six years since she became a journalist, and has worked in both London and New York.
5. Emphasize the entryway with fresh botanicals
Fresh greenery and Christmas foliage are a must over the holiday season, says Anjie Cho, holistic interior designer.
While faux Christmas garlands and Christmas wreaths are great, real, fresh botanicals are perfect for encouraging positive growth energy into your home over the holidays – especially when positioned in your entryway, Anjie explains.
‘When putting out decorations, you want to avoid setting anything up that means there is difficulty opening the front door,’ she warns. ‘For instance, I went to an apartment the other day that had a beautiful large wreath on the door, but I couldn't find anywhere to knock or find a buzzer. Don't hide or conceal the door – this prevents both people and "Chi" from coming in.’
When picking the best foliage for Christmas decor, Anjie recommends picking evergreen plants to offer growth energy during the winter and picking auspicious red flowers or berries for prosperity and luck.
6. Introduce dried oranges to cleanse mixed energies
Dried fruit garlands are a great piece of traditional Christmas decor, but they have some great uses in Feng Shui, reveals Anjie Cho, Feng Shui expert.
Even if the traditional look isn't your thing, dried orange slice decorations are perfect for neutralizing the energy in your home when you have lots of people moving through your space, she says. The strong Yang energy of oranges and citrus brings positive life force energies and lifts the Chi to help cleanse your space of tension and balance challenges.
It might also help to pine cleanse your home at Christmas for good luck, too.
FAQs
When should you take your Christmas decor down for good luck?
It is generally considered to be lucky to take your Christmas decorations down before or on the fifth or sixth of January, also known as Twelfth Night – thought to be the night the three kings reached the manger. Taking your decor down after this date is thought to bestow bad luck on a home for the duration of the year.
What is the lucky color for Christmas 2023?
The lucky color for Christmas is determined by the Feng Shui element that rules the year. For 2023, this is a deep green, symbolic of the earth and water elements that are thought to be lucky for the year. This perfectly seasonal color is easy to incorporate into your festive decor, hopefully improving your luck this festive season.
Along with decorating your home for Christmas, your home fragrance can impact Feng Shui, too. To help avoid dead energy at Christmas, consider using simmer pots and fresh baked goods to both make a home smell good for Christmas and ward negative experiences off for the festive season.
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