The traditional Christmas colors are red, green and white, with gold and silver as the usual metallic accents. None of them has an official hex code, so every designer picks their own. Our go-to Christmas red is #B3000C (RGB 179, 0, 12), and our go-to Christmas green is holly green #165B33 (RGB 22, 91, 51), with #00873E when you want a brighter green.
Below you’ll find hex codes for 22 Christmas colors, where the red and green tradition comes from, 12 Christmas color palettes you can copy and tips for keeping festive text easy to read.
Colors marked CSS are official CSS color keywords. Christmas red, Christmas green, holly green, cranberry, sage, frost blue, plum and gingerbread are our own picks, chosen to look festive on screen and in print. CMYK figures are simple conversions from RGB, so check a printed proof before a big print run.
What Are the Christmas Colors?
Most Christmas designs use some mix of these colors. Each one has its own job:
- Red: holly berries, poinsettias, ribbons and Santa’s suit. Red brings warmth and a sense of celebration.
- Green: evergreen trees, wreaths and holly leaves. Green stands for life that lasts through winter.
- White: snow, candles and paper snowflakes. It keeps busy designs calm and clean.
- Gold: stars, candlelight and the gold the Magi brought. A touch of gold makes any palette feel richer.
- Silver: frost, tinsel and glass ornaments. It suits cooler, wintry schemes.
- Purple and blue: many churches use purple, and some use blue, for Advent, the four weeks before Christmas. Icy blues are also popular for winter designs.
Why Are Red and Green the Christmas Colors?
The short answer is holly. Its glossy green leaves and bright red berries stand out in the middle of winter, when little else is growing. Holly was part of winter celebrations long before Christmas, including in ancient Rome, and Christians later linked its spiky leaves and red berries to the crown of thorns.
Red and green weren’t always the default, though. Arielle Eckstut, co-author of The Secret Language of Color, told NPR that Victorian Christmas cards used plenty of other pairs, such as red and blue, blue and green, and blue and white, and that Santa showed up in blue, green or red robes. Coca-Cola’s ads from 1931, painted by Haddon Sundblom, helped fix the image of a jolly Santa in a bright red suit, although red-suited Santas existed before then.
Today the pairing is so familiar that a simple red and green stripe reads as festive almost anywhere.
Christmas Colors Hex Codes
Here are 22 Christmas colors with their HEX, RGB and CMYK values. Copy any code and paste it into Canva, Photoshop or your CSS.
| Color | HEX | RGB | CMYK | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christmas red | #B3000C | 179, 0, 12 | 0, 100, 93, 30 | Main red for cards, ribbons and headlines |
| Cardinal red | #C41E3A | 196, 30, 58 | 0, 85, 70, 23 | A slightly cooler red for berries and bows |
| Cranberry | #9B1B30 | 155, 27, 48 | 0, 83, 69, 39 | Deep red for text and rustic designs |
| Crimson (CSS) | #DC143C | 220, 20, 60 | 0, 91, 73, 14 | A bright, cheerful red for social posts |
| Burgundy | #800020 | 128, 0, 32 | 0, 100, 75, 50 | Rich wine red for elegant cards |
| Christmas green | #00873E | 0, 135, 62 | 100, 0, 54, 47 | Bright, festive green |
| Holly green | #165B33 | 22, 91, 51 | 76, 0, 44, 64 | Classic deep green for trees and wreaths |
| Forest green (CSS) | #228B22 | 34, 139, 34 | 76, 0, 76, 45 | A natural, mid-tone green |
| Dark green (CSS) | #006400 | 0, 100, 0 | 100, 0, 100, 61 | Dark green backgrounds |
| Pine green | #01796F | 1, 121, 111 | 99, 0, 8, 53 | Blue-green for Nordic and vintage looks |
| Hunter green | #355E3B | 53, 94, 59 | 44, 0, 37, 63 | Muted green for rustic designs |
| Emerald | #50C878 | 80, 200, 120 | 60, 0, 40, 22 | Jewel-tone accent |
| Sage | #9CAF88 | 156, 175, 136 | 11, 0, 22, 31 | Soft green for minimalist cards |
| Snow (CSS) | #FFFAFA | 255, 250, 250 | 0, 2, 2, 0 | Warm white backgrounds |
| Ivory (CSS) | #FFFFF0 | 255, 255, 240 | 0, 0, 6, 0 | Soft, creamy white |
| Gold (CSS) | #FFD700 | 255, 215, 0 | 0, 16, 100, 0 | Bright gold for stars and lights |
| Metallic gold | #D4AF37 | 212, 175, 55 | 0, 17, 74, 17 | Realistic gold for text and borders |
| Silver (CSS) | #C0C0C0 | 192, 192, 192 | 0, 0, 0, 25 | Frost, tinsel and winter accents |
| Frost blue | #DCEEF7 | 220, 238, 247 | 11, 4, 0, 3 | Icy backgrounds |
| Midnight blue (CSS) | #191970 | 25, 25, 112 | 78, 78, 0, 56 | Night skies and elegant cards |
| Plum | #5B2C6F | 91, 44, 111 | 18, 60, 0, 56 | Advent purple and jewel tones |
| Gingerbread | #A0522D | 160, 82, 45 | 0, 49, 72, 37 | Warm brown, the same value as CSS sienna |
Christmas Red Color Codes
For a classic Christmas red, use #B3000C. It’s a deep, true red that looks rich on screen and stays strong in print. Cardinal #C41E3A is slightly cooler, crimson #DC143C is brighter and more playful, and cranberry #9B1B30 or burgundy #800020 work for text and elegant designs. Need more options? Our red color code guide lists 30 shades of red with their codes.
Christmas Green Color Codes
Holly green #165B33 is the most useful Christmas green. It’s dark enough for backgrounds and white text, and it doesn’t fight with red. For a brighter, more cheerful green, try #00873E or CSS forest green #228B22. Pine green #01796F leans blue and suits Nordic and vintage looks, while sage #9CAF88 gives you a soft, modern green for minimalist cards.
Gold, Silver and White Christmas Colors
CSS gold #FFD700 is bright and works for stars and fairy lights. For something that reads as real metal, use metallic gold #D4AF37. Our gold color code guide covers both, plus gold gradients. Silver #C0C0C0 adds a frosty touch, and snow #FFFAFA or ivory #FFFFF0 give you a warmer white than plain #FFFFFF.
12 Christmas Color Palettes (With Hex Codes)
Pick a palette that matches the mood you want, then use it everywhere: cards, social posts, gift tags and wallpapers.
| Palette | Hex codes | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Classic Christmas | #B3000C, #165B33, #D4AF37, #FFFAFA, #2B2B2B | Traditional cards, ornaments and gift tags |
| Candy cane | #D42426, #FFFFFF, #F5C6C6, #9B1B30, #165B33 | Kids’ designs, sweets and playful social posts |
| Nordic Christmas | #FFFFFF, #E8E4DC, #B5A48B, #9B1B30, #3E4A3D | Minimalist cards, home decor and Scandi styling |
| Winter wonderland | #FFFFFF, #DCEEF7, #A7C7E7, #C0C0C0, #1C3D5A | Snowy backgrounds and winter events |
| Rustic farmhouse | #7C0A02, #4F6F52, #C19A6B, #F3E9DC, #3D2B1F | Kraft paper cards, markets and menus |
| Vintage Christmas | #C83E4D, #3A9E9A, #F2C14E, #F7CAD0, #1F4E5F | Retro posters and mid-century designs |
| Emerald and gold | #0B4F3C, #1E7A4F, #D4AF37, #F7E7CE, #1A1A1A | Luxury invitations and premium packaging |
| Midnight and silver | #191970, #2E3A6E, #C0C0C0, #E5E4E2, #FFFFFF | Christmas Eve events and elegant cards |
| Pink Christmas | #E75480, #F4A7B9, #FBE3E8, #FFFFFF, #D4AF37 | Trendy social posts and gift wrap |
| Pastel Christmas | #F8C8D0, #BFE3D0, #D5C6E0, #FFF1C9, #FFFFFF | Soft wallpapers, baby’s first Christmas and bakeries |
| Gingerbread | #7B3F00, #A0522D, #E5AA70, #FFF8E7, #C41E3A | Baking, cookie boxes and cozy family cards |
| Burgundy and champagne | #800020, #5A1222, #B76E79, #F7E7CE, #FFFFFF | Modern cards, December weddings and wine labels |
Want to see these looks in action? Our aesthetic Christmas backgrounds use several of these schemes, including pink, minimalist and dark and moody. For a bolder pink Christmas, see the hot pink color code, and for softer pastel palettes, browse our pastel color codes. Our luxury color palettes have more emerald, burgundy and gold ideas.
How to Build a Christmas Color Scheme
- Pick one main color and one support color. A rough 60-30-10 split works well: 60% for the background or main color, 30% for the second color and 10% for accents.
- Add one metallic. Gold suits warm schemes with red, green and cream. Silver suits cool schemes with blue, white and gray.
- Go deeper than pure red and green. #FF0000 and #00FF00 look harsh side by side. Deeper shades such as Christmas red and holly green look richer and print better.
- Leave room to breathe. White, snow or cream space stops red and green designs from feeling crowded.
- Keep it consistent. Save your hex codes in one place, such as a Canva brand kit, so your cards, posts and tags match. Our brand kit examples show how to lay a palette out.
Make Sure Christmas Text Is Readable
Red and green look festive together, but they’re almost the same lightness. That means red text on a green background is very hard to read. It’s also a problem for people with red-green color blindness, which affects about 1 in 12 men. Accessibility guidelines (WCAG) ask for a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal text. Here’s how common Christmas pairings score:
| Text color | Background | Contrast ratio | Normal text |
|---|---|---|---|
| #FFFFFF white | #B3000C Christmas red | 7.2:1 | Passes |
| #B3000C Christmas red | #FFFFFF white | 7.2:1 | Passes |
| #FFFFFF white | #165B33 holly green | 8.1:1 | Passes |
| #FFD700 gold | #165B33 holly green | 5.8:1 | Passes |
| #FFD700 gold | #FFFFFF white | 1.4:1 | Fails |
| #B3000C Christmas red | #165B33 holly green | 1.1:1 | Fails |
| #D4AF37 metallic gold | #191970 midnight blue | 7.1:1 | Passes |
In short, put white, cream or gold text on deep red, green or navy, and use red or green text on white. Never put red text on green, or green text on red.
How to Use Christmas Colors in Canva
- Add a color: select your text or shape, click the color tile on the toolbar, choose the plus icon to add a new color and paste a hex code such as #B3000C.
- Recolor a template: select an element, pick your new color, then click Change all at the bottom of the color panel to swap that color everywhere in the design.
- Pick a festive font: our list of Christmas fonts on Canva covers the best free options for headlines and messages.
- Download the right file: use PNG for social posts and PDF Print for anything you’ll print. Our guide on how to print from Canva explains bleed and print settings.
Making cards this year? Browse our Christmas card ideas for layouts that use these palettes, plus card messages and sizes.
Frequently Asked Questions
The traditional Christmas colors are red, green and white. Gold and silver are the most common accents, and purple or blue appear in Advent designs.
There’s no official Christmas red. A popular deep, true red is #B3000C (RGB 179, 0, 12). Cardinal #C41E3A and crimson #DC143C are brighter options.
Holly green #165B33 (RGB 22, 91, 51) is a classic deep Christmas green. For a brighter green, use #00873E or CSS forest green #228B22.
Mostly because of holly, whose red berries and green leaves stand out in winter. Victorian cards used other pairs too, and 1930s Coca-Cola ads helped make the red-suited Santa the standard image.
White, cream and gold are the safest partners. Silver works for cooler designs, and navy or midnight blue makes gold and white stand out.
Popular alternatives include pink Christmas, pastel Christmas, blue and silver, Nordic white and natural wood, emerald and gold, and burgundy and champagne.
