Vintage 1950's Christmas Festivities

[flat-top]

There is a radio station here that starts playing only holiday music November 1st. I've actually been counting down the days till I no longer am running my holiday CDs ragged. They need a break. lol

You remind me alot of myself...all this great build up to the Holidays! But then isn't it depressing when it's over "just like that"?

 

[Wally_Hood]

For our family my Mom made Danish, Swedish and Norwegian type baked goods mostly cookies.
We had numerous very old from our grandparents from the old country tree decorations.
Going to get a tree and then decorating it was big.
Christmas Stockies with the kids names on them.
Tradiiton of Christmas dinner either at our house or our cousins house on Christmas Day (it was swapped back and forth.
Christmas Eve - that evening we would go to Candle light Divine Service at Church (St. Paul's in Amityville)
On Christmas eve after church we got to open one present.
Last minute shopping.

Sending out Christmas Cards & hanging up all of the cards that came in the mail.

Ah, the single gift on Christmas Eve. In our family if we went to Grandpa and Grandma's house on Christmas Eve, if you ran to the door and when they opened it you shouted out "Christmas Eve present!" you got to pick one out. When we alternated Christmas with the aunt and uncle and cousins, the trick was to linger by the door until you heard them running up to the front door, then suddenly fling it open and shout out the magic words before they did.

Now, my wife grew up opening all the gifts on Christmas Eve. It was a huge change for her to open gifts on Christmas morning.

 

[Wally_Hood]

The track is normally like an oval, or a square/rectangle with 2 curved pieces at each corner (just enough to get it started around the other side). You can't run it too fast. It normally just runs the circumference of the lowest branches- not too close at the base. You can set presents outside or inside the tack. Or do a separate smaller or larger tree with presents.

Now I want to decorate a tree or three trees.

My wife and I trade off decorating the tree; she gets to in even-numbered years, and I get to in odd-numbered years. Last year we had the tree in the living room and then the missus set up a half-pint tree in the family room. This year I'm setting up an extra one in the bedroom (we've got a couple of artificial trees that we've accumulated over the years). Over the top? Well, sort of...

 

[rue]

Now, my wife grew up opening all the gifts on Christmas Eve. It was a huge change for her to open gifts on Christmas morning.

This always confused me.... how did Santa fit in?

 

[sheeplady]

You remind me alot of myself...all this great build up to the Holidays! But then isn't it depressing when it's over "just like that"?

Yes. And the stuff starts leaving the stores. And you have to pack away the decorations. December 26th when the "All Holiday Music All the Time" station goes back to normal. I try to make it better, though, by working on small decorations throughout the year or listening to music occasionally.

 

[C-dot]

You remind me alot of myself...all this great build up to the Holidays! But then isn't it depressing when it's over "just like that"?

Oh my, yes. Its so terribly anti-climatic. That's the only part I don't like.

This always confused me.... how did Santa fit in?

That confuses me too. When I was younger, the only presents we opened on Christmas Eve were specifically from family. Santa brought everything the next morning. My poor parents, being woken up by hyper children at 4am...

This past Christmas was my first not living at home, so of course I went back. My parents still got up at night and put the presents under the tree When I thanked them for being so kind, my mum said "Don't thank me, it was Santa!"

Some traditions never die!

 

[Effingham]

I just have to say...

I LOVE Christmas. I'm really looking forward to my first Christmas in my first house this year. My folk's house. My house. Still trying to decide between real tree and good fake. Sigh... decisions decisions decisions.

Definitely going to do a miniature Christmas village, though. It wouldn't be right NOT to. Finally.

My own house -- once my parent's old house -- and my own Christmas. Wow.

 

[Gregg Axley]

Both Effingham, if you can't make a decision it's best to just get both.
After showing my wife the tree I posted a few pages back (with the bubbling trunk), she wants one. Lovely...
I grew up with a friend who's mom has a tree in every room, including all the bathrooms!
A tree in several rooms isn't so odd IMHO.
We had the "one gift on Christmas eve" too.
Ahh, the Christmas music on the radio.
Ever see 2 adults stuck in a car for 12hrs, and agree to an hour each (alternating) of whatever they want to listen to? Now add Christmas music and my wife almost goes crazy.
"If I hear that dern Is That You Santi Claus" song again I'm going to explode. Suffice it to say, I love Christmas music, and the fact Satellite never fades out no matter how many states you cross.

 

[Effingham]

Apparently, I lack the gene for self control. I just ordered about $250 worth of ornaments from Bronner. I like to be prepared.

Tony

 

[John in Covina]

I Yust Go Nuts At Christmas by Yogi Yorgeson - it may be on You-Tube.

 

[C-dot]

I broke down and listened to this today

[video=youtube;YA2ItJ1CxNs]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YA2ItJ1CxNs[/video]

 

[Wally_Hood]

I broke down and listened to this today

[video=youtube;YA2ItJ1CxNs]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YA2ItJ1CxNs[/video]

I try to listen to Christmas music only after Thanksgiving. If I listen too early I feel like I'm breaking some sort of taboo. I do hear little bits and pieces during the year as I comb the 'net for free Christmas music, but I don't let myself go All Christmas All the Time until about the first couple of days in December.

 

[C-dot]

I try to listen to Christmas music only after Thanksgiving. If I listen too early I feel like I'm breaking some sort of taboo. I do hear little bits and pieces during the year as I comb the 'net for free Christmas music, but I don't let myself go All Christmas All the Time until about the first couple of days in December.

Our Thanksgiving is this weekend, but I still can't really justify it since Hallowe'en hasn't passed lol November first is when I break out the Christmas tunes. This song I felt okay about, though, because it's really just about winter

 

[flat-top]

Our Thanksgiving is this weekend, but I still can't really justify it since Hallowe'en hasn't passed lol November first is when I break out the Christmas tunes. This song I felt okay about, though, because it's really just about winter

I try to justify these things to myself too.

 

[Wally_Hood]

Our Thanksgiving is this weekend, but I still can't really justify it since Hallowe'en hasn't passed lol November first is when I break out the Christmas tunes. This song I felt okay about, though, because it's really just about winter

Good point~

I have over six hundred songs on the computer hard drive that are Christmas songs and some are winter songs like "Winter Weather", "Winter Wonderland", and "Snowfall." They're such a part of the Christmas music canon that it's hard to winnow them out. I draw the line at listening to the Chipmunks, though...

 

[rue]

Oh come on... what's not to love....

[video=youtube_share;6hAUWyp0qzs]http://youtu.be/6hAUWyp0qzs[/video]


"I still want a hula hoop."

 

[sheeplady]

You know what I just realized? I don't think any Holiday music annoys me. Not my favorites, sure. But I still sing along with them in my car and home. Even the chipmunks.

While I might be tone death, what I haven't got in musicical ability I make up for in enthusiasm. Or so my husband says.

 

[C-dot]

I draw the line at listening to the Chipmunks, though...

Me too lol They stay firmly in my childhood memories.

 

[Marzena]

If you were suggesting really classic decorations/colour-schemes/knick-knacks, what would they be? We need a new tree, but bought a fairly good-looking artificial wreath last year. I'll redecorate it this year, but haven't decided colours or anything yet.

Deep red and gold is a great combination, looks rich, classy and romantic and if you more or less stick to that combination for a time you will get a very smart tree. When you get bored, switch to deep blue and gold (gold will already be there!)).

If I had known that back in my days of starting the bauble collection!

 

[Marzena]

Also, do you guys do Advent Calendars? The sort in which eyou open a little "nook" every day starting December1st and find a chocolate or candy inside?
Jacquie Lawson http://www.jacquielawson.com/offered a virtual calendar last year, making a little Christmas Town gradually come alive with more and more animated images and we were really looking forward to each evening evening when we would all open another "day" together. I understand they will make a new one this season and this is something I am activelu looking forward to.