What will Christmas look like in 2020?
Stefan “Trendstefan” Nilsson is Sweden’s best-known trend hunter – he’s covered trends since the beginning of the 2000s and annually hosts the event Stora Trenddagen (‘The Big Trend Day’). We had a chat with Stefan about how we’ll celebrate Christmas in 2020.
Photo: Plantagen
How does COVID-19 affect Christmas in 2020?
We’ll definitely celebrate Christmas in some way and I’m sure we’ll want to meet up as much as possible. I don’t think there will be a Zoom- or Teams Christmas – we’ll really try to spend time together in person. Maybe Santa brings sanitized presents? Maybe Santa wears a face mask with painted beard instead of a white, wavy fake beard?
We already see some solutions out there. For example, restaurants have been forced to rethink their Christmas tables. Fewer people at the buffet table? Maybe even outdoors? Regardless, we want to meet during Christmas.
What trends do you see in terms of decorations, ornaments and interior design?
I think there are three major trends:
A golden Christmas. A lot of gold in the Christmas tree, all fancy brands that want to be part of the Christmas celebration produce golden Christmas tree decorations. But we also see people spray painting monstera leaves to put in the Christmas tree. And the coolest Christmas tree decoration this year might be a golden bauble with leopard print?
Retro. I spotted this trend even before corona so it’s not a consequence thereof but something that’s been around for a while. We’re talking Santa Clauses on space rockets, with 50’s style armchairs etc. The colors are clearly American 50’s with mint green, maybe azure blue and red. Like an old-fashioned candy store.
Sustainability. It goes without saying that Christmas will be more sustainable. The ornaments may be made of paper, or organic wool, or papier-mâché. And of course, we’ll continue moving nature into the Christmas tree. There will be pine cones, apples and more.
What will we not take with us from the last decade into the Christmases of the 20s?
The nail mat was announced Christmas present of 2009. The year after it was the tablet. The 2010’s was obsessed with gadgets. You were supposed to have caffe-latte whisks and teppanyaki hobs. Now we’re leaving that to go into some sort of mindfulness. Last year’s Christmas present was the cellphone box so that we wouldn’t sit staring at our phones the entire time. I think we’re moving into those kinds of Christmases.
What kind of Christmas presents will we give each other in 2020?
Consumption gets less interesting; instead we’re spending money on restaurants and experiences. I think we want to do things together. It’s hard to do so in these corona times but I think we want to share experiences. For example, I’ve booked a pub crawl with my dad at Kungsholmen, where he was born, so we’ll go to different pubs and he will tell me all about his old neighborhood and memories. He doesn’t need any more gadgets.
Other tips – maybe a duo-facial? Or visit the paint store and book a colorant who comes to your little brother's house and does a professional analysis of how colors and light play in the home. This year I turned ‘an even number’ and got paragliding, cable car, glassblowing and a lot of fun activities as birthday presents.
What do we eat during Christmas 2020?
When I lecture and talk about Christmas, I usually talk about that we have gone from a strong tradition to more experimentation. 10-20 years ago, we had grandma's herring and exactly the same food as last year. Shame on you if you experimented with the Aladdin [chocolate] box. Now we’re experimenting like crazy – high and low. This year's mulled wine tastes like tea. This year's foam banana tastes like blueberries and the herring tastes like chili / aioli.
The experimentation continues and it’s absolutely okay. Christmas should be fun. But the strongest trend still is that vegetarian and vegan options are increasing. It goes without saying that there should be vegetarian meatballs. And also, the non-alcoholic trend. Nowadays there are even non-alcoholic schnapps.
What do we drink?
The trendy drink non-alcoholic. But I’m not that trendy yet. I like schnapps. With alcohol.
Finally, how will you celebrate Christmas this year?
I have a lot of traditions, but one important thing is my three Christmas trees. Yes, I have three Christmas trees. One fancy tree with all my expensive and fancy ornaments. Here I hang my Hermés bauble that I bought when I was drunk in Seoul. Then I have the fun Christmas tree. Here I hang the colorful, a bit kitsch ornaments, like a Santa who does yoga. Finally, we have a guest’s Christmas tree. We have a cottage in Roslagen and every year we have a guest over to celebrate Christmas with us, and he/she gets to decorate a Christmas tree in the guesthouse with the decorations that are left (yes, I have a million Christmas tree decorations).
Three quick ones with Stefan
Mulled wine or Christmas root beer?
Christmas root beer, always. After a drunken night on mulled wine in my youth I’m hesitant about this spicy thing.
Meatballs or ham?
Meatballs, which you can have both with meat or vegetarian. There is no good substitute to ham yet.
Throw out Christmas during the holidays or wait until 20 days have passed?
Christmas goes out the door during the holidays... I start so early so I’m kind of done with it around December 26th...