Gathering family around a dinner table for a festive meal is one of our family’s most beloved holiday traditions. The flickering candlelight, the laughter and the smells of delicious food is the content of many of my most precious Christmas memories. The memory of those gatherings and the traditions wrapped up in them are important for me to pass on to my children. When I host a Christmas gathering, I work to add meaning to the holiday dinner tablescape by incorporating family heirlooms or mementos of generations passed. A holiday tablescape is so much more than linens and dishware. It’s the backdrop upon which we build family traditions.
Scottish Holiday Tablescape
My grandma immigrated from Scotland to the United States in the 1930s. Her love of shortbread, plaid and dinnerware came with her. The Scottish tablescape design incorporates the traditional tartan plaid pattern of a Scottish kilt with a touch of whimsy. I love the rich brown color of my dining table and opted not to cover the table with a cloth. Instead, I chose a plaid table runner and placed it down the center of the table. The centerpieces are evergreen topiaries with a simple strand of red and white string tied around the base. Scattered between the planters are pieces of china from the Christmas book, “A Cup of Christmas Tea.” The book was one of my grandma’s favorites and she gifted the tea set to me when she passed.
Also inherited from my grandma is the gold plated flatware used in these place settings. To build the place setting, I started with a gold charger plate, layered on a tartan plaid dinner plate and topped with a Santa Clause themed salad plate. The gold charger plates are plastic and serve more like a placemat rather than a dining piece. The salad plates used here came from Pier One last year, but these are equally adorable. Sandwiched in between the dinner and salad plates is a folded Merry Christmas script napkin. Find similar ones here. The glassware used in this holiday tablescape was glassware from our wedding registry or passed down from relatives.
Nordic Holiday Tablescape
Potato sausage and Swedish potatoes were staples of Christmas Eve dinner at my paternal grandparent’s house. This Nordic holiday tablescape pays tribute to the Christmases of my childhood. The table runner on this holiday table is a travel souvenir. We purchased it on a stopover visit to Iceland en route to Germany and the Czech Republic. The centerpiece consists of five mason jars (two large and three smaller ones) filled with faux snow, berries and greens. Electric tealight candles sit inside the smaller jars.
The placesettings pop with deep red hues and vibrant whites. To build the placesetting I started with raw edge wooden chargers. I then layered on a simple white dinner plate and then a red salad plate. The showpiece of this placesetting is the nordic inspired bowls. I used nesting bowls very similar to these. They were purchased at Crate and Barrel a few years ago. Alongside the plates are white linen napkins. To finish the napkins, I secured them with red ribbon and a sprig of greenery and berries.
In nordic countries, gluhwein or mulled wine is often served. I included copper cups in this holiday tablescape to serve the spicey holiday drink that accompanied the meal. Aside from good food and gluhwein, a holiday tablescape can form the underpinnings of Christmas memories and traditions for generations to come.
Happy Adventuring, Rochelle