Purple Christmas Trees: Is Purple Goth, and How to Decorate One

A purple Christmas tree can be goth. Goth style pairs black with deep jewel tones, and purple is one of the main ones. Pick a plum or deep violet tree, hang black and silver ornaments, add velvet ribbon and purple or warm white lights. A pale lavender tree with pastel glass reads softer, closer to pastel goth.

Why a purple Christmas tree fits goth style

A purple Christmas tree fits goth style because purple has long sat next to black. EBSCO’s research summary of gothic fashion describes a style built on black and accented with colors like purple or red, with Victorian touches such as velvet and lace.

The Victorian link runs deeper. Mourning dress moved in stages: full black first, then half mourning, when muted colors returned. Oxford’s Pitt Rivers Museum notes that half mourning was often purple or dark green trimmed with black, and that a widow’s last months allowed gray, purple and lilac. The Paris Review calls lilac the color of Victorian half mourning. The Met’s 2014 exhibition “Death Becomes Her” showed mourning dress from 1815 to 1915, including gowns worn by Queen Victoria and Queen Alexandra, and traced the later arrival of gray and mauve.

Purple also belongs to the season itself. Britannica notes that violet is the traditional liturgical color of Advent in the Roman Catholic Church, while many Protestant churches use blue or purple. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops says rose may replace purple on Gaudete Sunday, the third Sunday of Advent.

Purple Christmas tree styles to choose from

Purple Christmas trees come in the same shapes as green and black ones. Vickerman, a maker of artificial trees, sells purple trees in three styles: a full purple fir, a slim purple pencil tree, and a flocked purple pencil fir whose purple flocking is meant to look like fresh snow. Some come pre-lit with purple LED lights; others are unlit. The purple fir also comes in 2-foot and 3-foot sizes for a table.

A deep plum or violet tip reads more goth than a bright or pinkish purple. Check the photos on the maker’s page in daylight and with the lights on, since purple shifts with lighting. The black Christmas trees guide covers sizes, tip counts and pre-lit options that apply to any colored tree.

How to decorate a purple Christmas tree in a goth style

Decorating a purple Christmas tree in a goth style starts with black. Black glass balls and a black topper anchor the purple and stop it from looking like a party tree.

1. Choose one metal. Silver keeps the tree cold and moody. Gold makes purple feel regal and warm. Mixing both tends to look busy.
2. Add black in three finishes. Matte, gloss and glitter black catch light differently and give the tree depth.
3. Use velvet ribbon. Deep plum or black velvet ribbon carries the Victorian side of goth.
4. Pick motifs with a light touch. Bats, crescent moons, black cats and spiders keep it spooky-cute rather than grim.
5. Top it simply. A black star, a crescent moon or a spiky finial suits a purple tree better than a traditional angel.

Lilac and pastel pink accents soften the tree for a cute goth look. The goth tree decorating guide explains the layer order: lights, garland, large ornaments, small ornaments, topper and skirt.

Lights for a purple Christmas tree

Lights for a purple Christmas tree change its color more than on a green tree. Purple lights deepen the tips and give a dusky glow, which is why some purple trees ship pre-lit with them. Warm white lights keep ornament colors true. Cool white lights pull purple toward blue.

On an unlit tree you can switch between seasons. Orange lights on a purple and black tree make a Halloween tree in October, and swapping to purple or warm white turns it into a Christmas tree. The Halloween Christmas trees guide covers that changeover, and upside-down Christmas trees are another shape that suits both seasons.

Purple, black or both for a goth Christmas tree

Purple, black or both depends on the room. A black tree with purple ornaments is the safer goth choice, since black hides gaps and works with any accent. A purple tree with black ornaments is bolder and makes the tree itself the statement.

In a dark room, a purple tree shows its color better than black, which can fade into the walls at night. In a bright room, either works. For black-tree color pairings, see black Christmas ornaments, and start at goth Christmas decor for the full look.