Deck the halls with boughs of holly may be the usual tradition across many homes this festive season, however new research suggests that Christmas could be getting a ‘millennial makeover’ this year as Snowflakes opt for mythical creatures instead of traditional Christmas magic.
Rudolph, Santa and the Nutcracker are said to be being increasingly joined by a whole host of less traditional figures such as unicorns, llamas and even mermaids.
According to research from American Express Small Shop, almost half (45%) of the UK’s 27 million households have said they will be eschewing traditional ornaments in favour of alternatives this year.
Millennials are set to be snubbing traditional decorations for trees with rainbows (left) and cute unicorn ornaments (right)
Dolphins or dinosaurs? Millennials are opting for less traditional decorations such as ‘Dolphicorns’ and sequin dinosaurs (right)
Festive llamas and mermaids could be taking the spot of Santa and Rudolf on the tree
It also suggests that tinsel and baubles may no longer be a Christmas staple in many homes this Christmas and could be replaced by the rainbow cakes and rockets.
Top of the ‘alternative Christmas decoration list’ are woodland animals, which include furry friends such as squirrels and badgers, as almost two in five of UK households (38%) are set to embrace a more modern approach by donning the ornaments when it comes to decorating the home.
The research also found that unicorns will appear in a quarter (24%) of homes embracing the millennial makeover, while mermaids will appear in almost one in five homes (17%).
Unicorns are set to appear in a quarter of UK homes this festive season
Flamingos (left) could be joining the festive party as could llamas, like this one wearing a pink hat (right)
Dog decorations, which are less fantastical but very much a modern trend – also made the list, appearing in 17% of millennial Christmas households.
Other decorations in the list include prosecco bottles which could feature in 14% of households, as well as dinosaurs and llamas.
While many animals such as flamingos are set to join the festivities, other popular millennial decorations include rainbow cakes and even rockets.
Unicorns have become a popular staple across the UK high street this year and millennials have embraced them for the Christmas season
As Christmas seems to come around earlier and earlier every year, the research discovered that most Britons think December 1 is the most acceptable day to start putting up Christmas decorations.
This year 1 December also falls on Small Business Saturday, which encourages consumers to shop local and as people across the UK prepare to decorate their trees with unusual decorations, many small businesses have taken advantage of the new trend.
One small business enjoying the trend for more unusual and quirky Christmas decorations is home and giftware store Sass & Belle.
Woodland animals will still feature on the tree, with many being given a millennial makeover
Creative Director, Tonton Pelczynski, said he had noticed an increase of non-traditional decorations.
‘We have noticed a huge increase in sales of non-traditional Christmas decorations over the past few years, mainly driven by our millennial customers. We’ve seen that the younger generations want to create an experience for family and friends that gives them a chance for playful self-expression, and what better way than to fill your Christmas tree with unicorns and mermaids?
‘It’s great news for us that nearly half of UK households will be choosing modern decorations this year as we stock everything from avocados in Santa hats, to llamas bearing gifts – all perfect for festive social posts.
‘Forget red, gold and green, make way for pink on your tree this year as Christmas gets a millennial makeover.’
Under the sea: mermaids are also said to be a big hit this year with millennials using them to decorate their trees