Austrian Advent Calendar Day 8
Hello, dear friends, and welcome to day eight of our Austrian Advent Calendar. Today we turn our attention to that most beloved of December rituals: trimming the tree.
I confess I hesitated considerably this year over the color inspiration for my Christmas tree. The Austrian flag—bold red and white—seemed an obvious starting point, straightforward and patriotic. Then I considered the House of Habsburg itself, that dynasty which shaped Central European history for six centuries, and their representative color: imperial yellow, the shade reserved for royalty, appearing on everything from palace facades to ceremonial uniforms.
But the decision crystallized unexpectedly while I was researching my upcoming journey to Vienna. I stumbled upon photographs of the Vieux Laque Room at Schönbrunn Palace, and everything suddenly made sense.
This extraordinary room represents Maria Theresa’s tribute to her late husband, Emperor Franz Stephan. Decorated in 1770, it features a magnificent series of Chinese lacquer panels—exquisite works acquired at considerable expense—framed within black and gold wainscoting of almost overwhelming richness. Interspersed among the lacquer panels are portraits of beloved Habsburg family members, each gilded frame contributing to the room’s luminous, jewel-box atmosphere. The effect is breathtaking: opulent without being gaudy, intimate despite its grandeur.
What struck me most powerfully was the dominance of gold—not the soft, antique gold of faded elegance, but vibrant, unapologetic imperial gold that catches light and throws it back with confidence. This was the color of power and permanence, of a court that understood spectacle as both art and statecraft.
And so my decision was made: for this Austrian Christmas, I would create a Golden Imperial tree, a tribute to the Habsburg Empire at its height, with accents of glossy black to echo those lacquer panels and provide dramatic contrast. Gold and black—decadence and sophistication, warmth and mystery, celebration grounded in history.
The result stands now in my salon: my golden Imperial tree, shimmering with the confidence of a dynasty that once ruled half of Europe. It’s perhaps more theatrical than trees from previous years, but that seems appropriate. Austria, after all, gave us Mozart and Strauss, the Vienna State Opera and the Spanish Riding School—a culture that has never been afraid of grandeur.
Until tomorrow, dear friends—may your own decorating bring you equal delight, whether your taste runs to imperial gold or something altogether different.
Written by Alexandra Poppy
Writer, reader & curator of The Ritual of Reading
I’m Alexandra, the voice behind The Ritual of Reading. Somewhere between a stack of novels and a half-finished pot of tea, I keep finding traces of the life I want to live—slower, richer, filled with stories. The Ritual of Reading is where I gather what I love: books that linger, places with a past, and rituals that make ordinary days feel a little more meaningful. I write from Paris, where elegant bookshops and old-fashioned cafés offer endless inspiration—and I share it here, hoping it brings a spark to your own days, too.
