Yahoo News What’s the ‘Little Women Christmas’ trend that’s been taking over TikTok?
Whether it’s the 1994 classic that starred Winona Ryder, Kirsten Dunst and Susan Sarandon as a few of the iconic March women, or the 2019 Greta Gerwig remake that featured Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh and Emma Watson, “Little Women” has inspired a coveted and surprisingly attainable holiday decor aesthetic on TikTok.
As of reporting, the hashtag #littlewomenchristmas had more than 880,000 views on the video-sharing app.
The holiday spirit is alive and well for these creators, who’ve taken to the digital platform to declare their “craving” for a “Little Women-style Christmas.” As any “Little Women” stan knows, achieving this aesthetic relies heavily on the presence of a key decor element: a homemade orange garland.
TikTok user Jen Brallier (@jenbrallier) shared her recipe for dried oranges, which involves baking thin slices at 225 degrees Fahrenheit for four hours and flipping them after two. Once they’re ready, Brallier suggests using a large needle and twine to weave them together and then hang them wherever your heart desires.
“I cannot believe someone made this! I love Little Women Christmas,” @norarodgers7 wrote in response to Brallier’s video.
“I absolutely love seeing more neutral colors and more natural items being included in Christmas decor these days,” @halloween103188 also commented.
“Manifesting a little women Christmas this year,” @wedderspoonofficial added.
Originally published in two volumes in 1868 and 1869, Louisa May Alcott’s “Little Women” follows the lives of the four March sisters, Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy, as they navigate adolescence and come of age during the Civil War. A humble family, the Marches made the most of what they had, and their holiday decorations — homely and naturalistic — were reflective of their desire to capture the Christmas spirit in ways that they could, regardless of financial constraints.
The Christmas tree, for instance, gained popularity in the mid-1800s, and by 1900, 1 in 5 Americans was estimated to have one in their home, according to History Today.
“At first, the decoration of these fragrant evergreens reflected the whim of folk tradition. Celebrants added nuts, strings of popcorn or beads, oranges, lemons, candies and home-made trinkets,” History Today reports. Eventually, Christmas tree decorating became a booming business. “Homely affectations gave way to more uniform and sophisticated ones, the old style overtaken by the urge to make the tree a showpiece for the artistic arrangement of ‘glittering baubles, the stars, angels, etc.”
A “Little Women” Christmas, replete with orange garlands and homemade bows, is being embraced by Gen Z, a demographic that celebrates sustainable practices as an alternative to consumerism.
On Nov. 3, Tiana Schmidt (@tiaschmidttt) spoke about her belief that TikTok has “ruined” Christmas, as influencers are pushing their followers to spend excessively on holiday decor.
“I feel like the consumerism around the holidays is extra bad this year. Like, the amount of 500-dollar HomeGoods hauls I’e seen already this year,” Schmidt says. “I think that this consumers’ mindset, this capitalist mindset around the holidays, it just ruins the fun of it. … Christmas just doesn’t feel like Christmas anymore.”
TikTok user Morgan Evelyn Cook (@morgenevelyncook) has since entered the chat. Cook, who agrees with Schmidt’s sentiments, is pushing for what she’s dubbed a “crafty Christmas” instead.
“I’m here to let you know that if you do not want to have a consumerism Christmas, that you can have a crafty Christmas instead with me, where instead of going to Target and spending 300 dollars, we go to the grocery store and we spend 5 dollars and 73 cents on some oranges,” Cook says in a video posted on TikTok on Nov. 10.
“I just think that crafting, it makes you feel like a kid again. And when was Christmas the most magical for us? When we were children,” she adds. “Why wouldn’t you want to do something that makes you feel like a kid around this time of year?”
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