Think of 2022 as a time for hope, so let’s celebrate the New Year
Regardless of how the last year went, we want only the best for the coming year and it is this positive attitude that can guide us to dress up our homes for the big night when we ring in 2022.
It’s a time of renewal, after all, which has been celebrated all over the world as far back as 4,000 years ago when festivities in ancient Babylon were recorded.
The massive Akitu religious festival heralded the new year as well as the mythical victory of the Babylonian sky god Marduk over the evil sea goddess Tiamat, serving an important political purpose: A new king was crowned or the current ruler’s divine mandate was symbolically renewed.
We can think of all kinds of parallels with our present situation, but the main idea is that optimism should triumph over pessimism and light should dominate over darkness. These thoughts for a brighter year ahead can be translated to some decorating ideas that will get everyone into the right mood and keep everyone in high spirits to welcome the New Year.
Glam black and metallics
Spending a lot of time cocooned in comforting neutrals, it’s now time to hope for better times so we can finally go glam with black and lots of metallic glitter. Welcome guests at the foyer with wall décor like pleated paper wheels in shades of black and gold with garlands of stars and discs which, like polka dots for our wardrobe and the round fruits in our table, are signs of prosperity that are part of Filipino New Year traditions.
A gold bar cart with gold cocktail shaker and conical hats are invitations for serious partying. Dress up the dining table with a black tablecloth and a silver runner. Or go dramatic with a gold runner filled with white orchids and cattleya corsages as party favors boxed in glass presented to each guest on top of their plates. Keep it lit with black candles on gold candlesticks. Mix your white porcelain with black and gold chargers and gold cutlery.
Light up your world
With vaccines rolled out, infections have gone down, so let’s celebrate our coming out of the darkness with lots of light. Create magical surroundings through tiny golden-hued lights that you can use like “fairy dust”:
Have them cascading down mirrors or other accent pieces to give them that ethereal glow. For the table setting, cluster them together inside glass domes of varying heights. Add antlers as accents to complete this “Midsummer Night’s Dream” fantasy.
Dance, dance, dance
What could be a better way to leave the past year behind than dancing our way to 2022? With the ’70s revival so hot of late, disco is the way to go for New Year’s Eve. Bring the mirror balls out in various sizes and scatter them around. Mix with chrome and mirror furniture for the Studio 54 vibe.
Create a bar with gold or silver metallic accents like stemware and cocktail shakers. The dinner table can have smaller versions of the mirror balls together with a centerpiece of crystal stemware in various heights and forms to contain flowers.
In the pink
Symbolizing youth, good health and playfulness, what can express our positive wishes more for the coming year than pink?
Looking around the neighborhood, many have already adapted the color in fairy lights and parols fronting their homes. Pink balloons in various shades make a festive welcome, climbing up arches like pink champagne bubbles. Add gold glitter accents for more sparkle.
For the table-setting centerpiece, mix with white and lilac flowers together with gold palm fronds and use pastel-colored china and stemware with gold accents.
Treasure time
Reminding us how time is so precious and to add excitement to welcoming 2022, clocks can also be a party theme. Make a buffet setting with your clock collection together with metallic balls and ribbons.
For the dinner setting, you can have printed blowups of clock faces underneath glass and top them with votive candles and balls in metallic shades. Add strings of pearls or faceted crystal beads for accents. You can also give gold clock ornaments together with gold horns as tokens presented to each guest.