A parol, a woven paper heart and a straw goat have almost nothing in common except the season. That is good news for designers. Most Christmas prints draw on the same handful of images, and the rest of the world offers a much bigger toolbox, provided you treat each object as what it is.
Here are ten traditions, with a note on what to draw from each.
Ten traditions to draw from
1. Philippines: the parol
A star-shaped lantern, traditionally a five-pointed star with tails, built from a bamboo frame covered in paper. Modern ones use capiz shell and electric lights. They hang in windows and along streets through the season. Draw: a layered star with a tail, in saturated colors with a glowing center.
2. Germany: markets and Ore Mountains woodwork
Christmas markets sell gingerbread hearts, ornaments and wooden figures. The Ore Mountains (Erzgebirge) are known for nutcrackers, incense smokers and candle arches. Draw: nutcracker silhouettes, arched candle holders and iced gingerbread hearts, in deep red, green and gold.
3. Ukraine: spider ornaments
A folk tale tells of a poor family whose bare Christmas tree was covered overnight in spiderwebs that turned silver and gold in the morning light. Spider and web ornaments, made of wire, paper or beads, hang on trees as a result. Draw: delicate geometric webs with a small spider in silver and gold on a deep ground. Ukrainian embroidery belongs to specific regions, so see folk art patterns before borrowing it.
4. Sweden: the julbock
The Yule goat, a figure made of straw tied with red ribbon, is a Scandinavian Christmas ornament and decoration. Draw: a golden straw texture with a red bow, tossed on a warm cream ground. The Scandinavian pattern guide covers the wider design language.
5. Denmark: woven paper hearts
Julehjerter are small woven hearts, made of two pieces of folded and cut paper, often red and white, that open into a little basket and hang on the tree. Draw: the heart as a basketweave check, or a toss of hearts in alternating colors.
6. Italy: the presepe
The nativity scene is central to Italian Christmas, and Naples is known for its elaborate scenes. These are religious displays, so treat them with care. Draw: hillside villages, rooftops and a star over a stable, as a calm landscape print rather than as figure decoration.
7. United Kingdom: crackers, cards and puddings
Victorian Britain gave us the printed Christmas card and the Christmas cracker, and the classic pudding is topped with a sprig of holly. Draw: striped crackers, paper crowns, holly sprigs and robins.
8. Mexico: Posadas and the poinsettia
The season begins on December 16 with Las Posadas. The poinsettia, native to Mexico, is called flor de Nochebuena. Draw: star piñatas and poinsettias in bright colors. Mexican Navidad pattern ideas covers this in depth.
9. Japan: Christmas cake and lights
Christmas in Japan is mostly a secular season of illuminations and gifts, and a signature treat is the Christmas cake, a sponge with whipped cream and strawberries. Draw: strawberry cake slices, tiny lights and snowy pastel palettes.
10. New Zealand: pohutukawa
In the Southern Hemisphere, Christmas falls in summer. The pohutukawa, a coastal tree, blooms crimson around December and is nicknamed the New Zealand Christmas tree. The tree also carries significance in Māori culture beyond that nickname. Draw: red brush-like blossoms on glossy dark leaves, with beach and sea tones.
How to borrow well
- Know what it is. A parol is not just a star, and a presepe is not just a stable.
- Say "inspired by." Do not label your own drawing as the traditional object.
- Keep it in context. Don't use a religious scene as a filler motif.
- Credit and buy. Where you can, support makers within the tradition.
- Verify text. If a design includes words in another language, have a native speaker check it.
Building a collection
Pick one tradition and build a small set around it: a hero, a coordinating repeat and a quiet blender. If you want a broader sort of Christmas styles, types of Christmas patterns sorts them by style, and Christmas patterns and cultural patterns are the matching categories.
In Pattern Weaver, "Describe It" lets you write a motif list in your own words, and each seamless tile takes about 20 seconds, so you can test a parol palette against a woven-heart check in one sitting.
Explore related pattern styles
