Remembering Christmas from the ‘50s

Each generation has its own memories associated with Christmas. When I was growing up back in the 50s, there were certain trends from that period that are unlike those of today.

I think it’s safe to say that there were more “real” trees than “fake” trees in people’s homes back then. Those looking for a non-traditional tree and not the “real thing” were probably happy when aluminum trees debuted around 1955. Instead of being green, they were either white or silver.

Of course, the plus side to an artificial tree is that you don’t have to add water to the tree stand, and there are no dropped needles to clean up. However, that type of tree never made it into our house. We always had a balsam tree which had a scent that will forever remind me of Christmases past! Our trees were always decorated with an abundance of icicles and a silver garland that wound its way around the branches. The ornaments on the tree were a sign of the times. Many of them were glass, which meant that if you dropped one on the hardwood floor, it broke! There were also some realistic plastic icicles hanging from the tree branches, along with Styrofoam candy canes with red or yellow piping for the stripes.

The lights on the tree were large compared to today and hot to the touch. If you really wanted something unique, you could use bubble lights. They were candle-shaped with an Art Deco base and came in a variety of colors. The glass tube of the light has an incandescent bulb that heats up and causes the liquid in the tube to boil.

When it came to paying for gifts, many people relied on Christmas club accounts. Banks and credit unions offered weekly options for putting money into the account. You could draw it out a few weeks before Christmas and be ready to let the shopping begin! Credit cards were not an option back then.

What presents did children want to find under their Christmas tree in the ‘50s? Girls hoped to get a Barbie doll, which became available in 1959. The outfits and accessories for Barbie were on a child’s Christmas lists for as long as she played with the doll. Needless to say, there were many choices for those!

Young boys often wanted anything related to Davey Crockett, who made his debut in 1955. Toy versions of the flintlock rifle and coonskin caps were items boys were happy to get.

Both boys and girls wanted Mr. Potato Head. Eyes, ears, nose, mustache, etc., could be attached to a plastic potato “head.” It was a nice, quiet Christmas toy!

Silly putty was another toy that didn’t produce noise. It went on the market in 1950 and was inside multi-colored plastic containers shaped like eggs. What kid doesn’t like something that can float like a liquid, bounce, and stretch? It provided hours of entertainment!

But Christmas isn’t all about presents. That seemed to be more obvious back in the 50s than it is today. Many homes had a nativity set in a prominent place. Our set was the folding type with all parts permanently attached. It was very easy to put in place and store when the season was over.

Handwritten Christmas cards were so numerous that we often had two mail deliveries per day. My mother had a long list of recipients and a checklist to see if the people she sent cards to also sent one to us.

One thing that hasn’t changed very much is the dinner menu. Turkey is probably the most common choice for the main course. A popular side dish tradition is Campbell’s green bean casserole. It was created in 1955 by one of their employees, Dorcas Reilly. Its original name was “green bean bake.”

Soon, another Christmas will arrive. Have fun making memories that you can look back on with a smile!