The holiday season is upon us. Thanksgiving through New Year’s is a busy time for most people. Was it like that back in the ‘50s? Let’s take a look!
Preparing Thanksgiving dinner took a lot more time and effort back then. There were no microwave ovens to heat the various components of the meal. Usually when the turkey came out to cool the other items went into the stove’s oven to heat up.
We always had relatives and friends at our house for dinner. I remember my mother getting up very early to cook the turkey and prepare the side dishes.
I think my mother’s intent was to keep me occupied while she got the meal. One way to accomplish that was to give me the task of making folded “place cards.” I wrote the person’s first name on the card and selected a Thanksgiving decal to place on the card. That kept me busy for awhile!
My dad put the leaf in the dining room table and a crocheted table cloth that was handmade by my mother went on it. The good china and silverware came out of the hutch and a centerpiece that one of our guests always sent us was placed on the table. Of course, all the adults wanted to have a drink before dinner and their choice was always rye and ginger. I remember them being served in short glasses with ice. Colorful “drink covers” on the glasses kept their hands dry as moisture from the ice made the glasses wet.
Everything was homemade except for pumpkin pies. Those came from Bush’s Bakery on State Street. They were delicious!
Once Thanksgiving had passed thoughts went straight to Christmas. The decorations went up downtown and Santa’s sleigh, strung across Merchants Row to Woolworth’s store, put you in the holiday spirit.
Downtown stores were open at night for Christmas shopping. My mother and I would go down at least once, which was a special treat as nighttime excursions were a rare thing in my childhood. The store windows were decorated beautifully.
Visiting Santa on the top floor of the Economy Store was the highlight of the holiday season. You could ride up in an elevator with an operator. Santa made sure you left with a candy cane and a smile on your face.
As we got older a few of the girls on our street walked downtown to get Christmas presents for our parents. They usually were purchased at Woolworth’s and included such things as perfume, bubble bath and shaving products. I am pretty sure that the brands we bought there were not the kind our parents used but you would never know it from their happy expressions on Christmas morning.
Our Christmas tree came from a house on the corner of McKinley Avenue and Route 7. The scent of balsam filled the living room. Back then the lights were large compared to the small ones of today. They were always multi-colored and not white, which is so popular now.
When it comes to a favorite present I think it would be a small record player and some vinyl records. I played “Old McDonald had a Farm” over and over. My parents may have regretted that purchase after a full day of hearing it!
The New Year always began with a noon-time at the home of our relatives, Mary and Eleanor Toohey, in Wallingford. There were no other children at the meal so I was happy to sit in their den and have the TV to myself while the adults chatted away in the living room!
The holidays are filled with memories. Enjoy taking a trip back in time as you recall your own holiday memories.
Soon you will be decorating your Christmas tree. If you are like me the ornaments you place on the tree will have a story to tell. No doubt you will tell it out loud to those in the room with you…even if they have heard it multiple times by now!
Happy holidays!
