RIP Halloween, Long Live Gothmas

As I write this, all around me hang artificial cobwebs the colour of a raven’s feather. In previous years, I might’ve been thinking about having to start hauling it all down and wondering just what to do with all those pumpkins and interestingly shaped gourds. Not so for 2025. As befits a year that’s been high on emotions and low on general merriment, the theme for this Christmas is a fittingly moody twist on tradition — a lingering extension of Halloween. Enter: Gothmas.

It’d be easy to dismiss Gothmas as another passing aesthetic quirk, but actually, if you think about it, it feels like one of the more telling reflections of the times we're living in. Most of us have grown weary of all the curated optimism and tedious perfection, so Gothmas, with its eerily undone aesthetic and Miss Havisham mood, cuts through the forced cheer as if to say, “Yes, times are strange, but that’s no reason not to decorate!” Velvet black ribbons. Candles in melted pewter. Oxblood oozing out onto charcoal greens. The mood, in other words, matches the mindset.

As Simon Thie, founder of Studio Thie, puts it: “Gothmas speaks to a broader cultural moment rather than being purely aesthetic. There’s a real desire for individuality, depth, and authenticity, especially during a season that can sometimes feel overly polished or commercial.”

He’s right. These days, the need for spaces that feel layered, expressive, and personal has never been stronger. “Historically, design and fashion often become more flamboyant and romantic in austere times or during periods of uncertainty,” Thie continues. No wonder, then, that Gothmas was cherry-picked as one of this season’s key trends in the Etsy Trend Edit. On the platform, searches for antique décor are up more than 17x, and interest in the more niche ‘gothic wallpaper’ has doubled. “Whatever your style, this look is all about embracing the darker side of the season and celebrating Yuletide with a little mystical flair,” says Etsy Trend Expert Dayna Isom Johnson.

Thie has also noticed a shift in customer sentiment: “There’s definitely a growing appetite for something moodier and more dramatic in festive design this year,” he says. “While the traditional red-and-gold look will always have its place, many of our customers are now drawn to décor that reflects their individuality and feels a little unexpected.” The typical holiday colour story — Coca-Cola red, gold, and sugar-rush sparkle — has succumbed to something slower, richer, and moodier. Thie adds, “Even designs that were once considered a little niche — like our striped navy and yellow bauble or T-Rex embroidered ornament — have become some of our bestsellers. They’re playful and opulent, a modern nod to that gothic sensibility.”

That mix of melancholy and magic can be glimpsed online too, in all the black candles and velvet garlands suddenly replacing Instagram’s once-minimalist tablescapes.

For Nell Ladipo-Horrell, founder of the creative studio Clementine & Moss, the gothic revival isn’t about darkness at all, it’s about light. “True Gothic design was about light – think stained-glass windows, soaring arches, and the shimmer of candlelight on stone,” she says. “So when I think about a Gothic Christmas, I start there, with that interplay of shadow and illumination.”

Ladipo-Horrell’s approach is luminous rather than lugubrious: deep plum and forest green against warm golds, and textures that play off one another. “These contrasts create depth and drama,” she explains. “A Gothic Christmas at home should feel like a celebration of contrasts: grandeur and intimacy, light and shadow, the sacred and the everyday.”

Her vision feels modern and romantic, without the heaviness (read: emo) that could so easily come with the theme. The answer, she says, is in how you pair your hues. “Colour is a wonderful tool here,” she adds. “Navy is a favourite of mine; softer and more enduring than black, it brings depth and intention, offering elegance with warmth.” Thie also suggests balance: “It doesn’t have to feel dark or heavy. Start with a foundation of deep, saturated tones like navy or emerald, and build in warmth through gold or jewel-toned accents.”

From a purely financial standpoint, it’s pleasing to be able to extend the lifespan of Halloween decorations. Not to get too Ebenezer Scrooge (a poster boy for the trend if ever there was one, to be fair), but Christmas can so easily become an exercise in excess, which lands differently against a backdrop of economic uncertainty. Gothmas peels away the perfection and allows for a more love-worn aesthetic to surface. “I love using collected and vintage decorations — pieces gathered over time, from inherited ornaments to simple glass baubles found at markets,” says Ladipo-Horrell, adding: “It’s also an aesthetic that celebrates history and memory.”

After Goth Girl Summer and Summerween, Gothmas feels like the natural conclusion — goths are out of the shadows and into the cultural driving seat. So buckle in, dim the lights, and pass the mulled wine.

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