Vintage 1950's Christmas Festivities

[flat-top]

I could kiss you, those are perfect.

Aww shucks!
Check Ebay for those too. They come up cheap sometimes.

 

[Miss sofia]

I have some vintage Shiny-Brite ornaments and the repros are virtually identical!

Oh good call. I might have to invest in some, as much as i love my originals, we have a kitten. I will say no more, but let's face it, the Christmas tree is going to be attacked at some point for sure!

 

[sheeplady]

Last Christmas was my first ever, and our first as a married couple, so we don't have many traditions yet. Or, for that matter, an extensive ornament collection.

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.

I'd love a train-set with porcelain village, but have nowhere to set one up.

What we did with our village is that we buy a house every year to put under the tree. That allows you time to get more space (if that is possible). There are also small village sets out there- about a fifth the size. I know you are in AUS, but in the US, I have seen them into Joann Fabrics. I would assume they are available someplace where you are. (I put some of the mini houses on my desk at work.)

I think window candles with blue or red bulbs are particularly vintage looking, especially the ones with 3 or more lights. I also LOVE bubble lights on a tree, although you have to be careful how you store them, as they are sensitive to extreme heat. Several places here sell them around the holidays. I think bottle brush trees also give a vintage look to any table or mantle.

 

[Miss sofia]

I love window candles!! Although we have white ones as i tend to go for a white and red theme.

A crib is good too, i have our childhood one with one of the three kings missing, but my son loves it.

I think i need me a village though, i haven't seen them in the UK.

 

[sheeplady]

I think i need me a village though, i haven't seen them in the UK.

I didn't know that people in the UK didn't do the little village under the tree or on the table. I think that the custom was brought to the US by German settlers, although I don't think they put it under a tree (but on a mantle or tabletop).

I know that many Italians do the village scene surrounding a nativity- I knew one gentleman from Italy whose father would put out over 250 houses, complete with trees and little people each year- they basically had to clear out three rooms of the house. lol So it is possible that many traditions brought it here.

We do white candles too- but once in a while I think I should do blue like my grandmother did.

 

[C-dot]

I know that many Italians do the village scene surrounding a nativity- I knew one gentleman from Italy whose father would put out over 250 houses, complete with trees and little people each year- they basically had to clear out three rooms of the house. lol So it is possible that many traditions brought it here.

Oh yes - My paternal grandparents have two! My grandfather made one of them. He passed away in '04, and my grandmother still puts them up at Christmas.

I like the sound of the little house under the tree, I've never seen one before!

 

[Viola]

Window candles are a good idea. We're right off a busy road so we keep the drapes drawn at night and it will look more cheerful with some candles. Is there symbolism for the number/colour of candles? The easiest ones to find are the single candlesticks.

The little village houses are, oddly enough, perhaps, one of the things about Christmas I was actively envious of as a kid. Most of the other stuff was just other stuff, but... tiny dollhouses! Painted really carefully! I was pretty chill about the presents, I had holidays of my own with presents, but I didn't have a holiday that involved scads of tiny dollhouses! lol

I don't know where I'd put any such thing at the moment (Apartment, kitten, foster cat about to HAVE kittens any minute...) but I love train-sets anyway.

Are deciduous branches with decorations (perhaps the branches painted) vintage style, or a modern touch? I could dig up pictures of what I mean, but do you know what I'm talking about? Or would evergreen branches be more classic?

My husband said the tree shall be green (and fake) but when did white trees come in? I thought they were the epitome of class when I was little.

For those who do not prefer pink

 

[LoveMyHats2]

One important part of Christmas to me is putting something in the works that the whole family should do together in preparing for Christmas, and it can be even something simple, make some of those large colored gooey popcorn balls, string them on the tree....get some construction paper and use many colors and have everyone make something for hanging around the room and tree. Being together and doing things as such, seems to make the love that is meant to be shared all that much more special!

 

[Gregg Axley]

Definetely a small village.
I started collection Dept 56 Snow Village back in the 80's.
Unfortunately after amassing x amount you need a lot of room for them! The solution? I only put out some of them, because all of them takes way too long, and I don't feel like putting them all back in the stryrofoam molds and then in the boxes. My BIL had a good idea. He put houses all over his den, and mantle.
Then he put a train under the tree, a larger scale one.

 

[flat-top]

I've been collecting 1940's style cardboard Christmas village houses. They definitely have a true nostalgiac look to them. Homegoods gets great ones.
Here's a fun link:
http://www.papatedsplace.com/WWII.html

 

[LoveMyHats2]

Yes, Christmas seems to have a great opportunity to set up all the creative arts of things such as trains and villages that are small scale, around on tables or cabinets.

I think my family still has things from 1940's that get set up, I never paid much attention to how old and rare they are until now.

 

[Sharpsburg]

Those houses look a lot fancier than the one's my Mom had from her wartime childhood. I think her's were Putz houses.

 

[hellsbellslolly]

Thankyou for all your fab suggestions guys, I am yet to go through the whole thread but I am very grateful! I am baffled by how a train set fixes around a tree, I just know my son would adore this though. I'm going to watch all the films suggested and I have been on the Jen but never Jenn blog too (awesome). I have been picking up stocking fillers already, I really want to make them special. So any more ideas I will absorb them up. Thanks again guys, much appreciated

 

[John in Covina]

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.

 

[wahine]

All your descriptions bring back the only Christmas I had in the US. It was so overwhelming to me, all the decoration, lights, stockings, a separate "Christmas room" (for the little village, the second plastic tree, and aaaall the presents). Plus the christmas songs we listened to in the brightest sunshine (it was in Florida). Watching the ball drop, the malls...!
But I never heard of boxing day or a color wheel (what is that?).

Here, we (my family) have a real natural tree that we set up on Dec.24 (take out in the first week of Jan.), we have no little village but real candles on the tree. After dinner (fondue in our case), we like to take a walk in the snow, if there is any. That's pretty much it. Nothing vintage, but very homely and with lots of Gemuetlichkeit.

Sorry for the OT, just dreamt away with my old au pair memories.

 

[flat-top]

Color wheels were used to project light onto artificial metallic Christmas trees!

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

I remember color wheels from the school plays we did in 1st and 2nd grade.

 

[sheeplady]

Thankyou for all your fab suggestions guys, I am yet to go through the whole thread but I am very grateful! I am baffled by how a train set fixes around a tree, I just know my son would adore this though. I'm going to watch all the films suggested and I have been on the Jen but never Jenn blog too (awesome). I have been picking up stocking fillers already, I really want to make them special. So any more ideas I will absorb them up. Thanks again guys, much appreciated

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.

 

[flat-top]

It'll be here before you know it!! Only 87 shopping days til Christmas!!

 

[sheeplady]

It'll be here before you know it!! Only 87 shopping days til Christmas!!

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