Vintage 1950's Christmas Festivities

[C-dot]

C-dot, those wouldn't have been surge protectors. They didn't have them in those days. They would have been just plain extension cords, each one a conflagration looking for a place to happen.

I scoured the Canadian Tire website looking for them - You know those little box shape things you plug into a socket with three more plugs on them? - but I couldn't find the right name. In the movie, Mr. Parker had a dangerous looking cluster of them all originating from one socket. The closest I could get was a surge protector.

C-dot, you get to work it off the day after Christmas though, boxing.
We don't have that down here.
Boxing to get the last item on the shelf before the other shoppers, from what I've read.
Back then (when A Christmas Story was set) the dangers of such weren't known.
Ahh a simpler time.

You don't have boxing day? I didn't know that. You're right about the physical dangers - I stay away from the malls on December 26th like I'll catch the bubonic plague (though for the past 4 years I've had to work retail on that horrific day - not this year, though.)

Those aren't even the best deals. The best deals are a week after New Years, when everyone is broke and the stores desperately want to give away their overstock. I got a wicked paid or French Connection leather driving gloves for $30.00, regular $120.00, last January

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

"Fra-gee-lay. It must be Italian."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJSmmbmJCLw

 

[dhermann1]

Hmmm . . . What are those doodads called, anyway?

 

[Gregg Axley]

Those gloves make you drive faster?
No we don't have Boxing Day, sorry.
I have some leather gloves, but not for driving.
The first set I got were really nice, deer skin with thinsulate inside.
Dern things just didn't fit right, and my wife got some cheaper ones (much cheaper) that were too small after wearing them for awhile, so we swapped. LOL
Back to Christmas...
Setting activities each year that will eventually become a tradition, using the time of tree trimming to spend with family and getting out old ornaments that mean something to you, and enjoying old recipes passed down through generation, this is what I think of when I think of Christmas.

 

[C-dot]

Hmmm . . . What are those doodads called, anyway?

My dad says they're called "multi-plugs." The best answer is always the most obvious lol

Those gloves make you drive faster?
No we don't have Boxing Day, sorry.

No, but they make you drive cooler. You guys have the equivalent, if not the more violent Black Friday anyway. This past one, I heard two people got trampled underfoot at a Wal-Mart!

 

[Gregg Axley]

That's why I shop online.
If you look at couponalbum.com, you can find almost any store you know of, and a lot you've never heard of.
No lines, no waiting, and I can get it gift wrapped if I want.
Other than groceries, I haven't shopped in a store for clothes, shaving supplies, shoes, etc, in years.

 

[sheeplady]

It's only September and just reading your post is driving me crazy. Your description of all the traditions, decorations, and cooking is making it difficult to focus just on Thanksgiving.

lol At first I was like.... opps did I post in the wrong thread?! Then I got what you meant. I have a cold, so a little "slow on the uptake." I actually do a black tree for Halloween. I have... a problem with holiday decorations. My white tree I keep up and redecorate for each holiday- Valentines, St. Patricks, 4th of July, Halloween/ Thanksgiving.

Needless to say, I have the most decorated house (on the inside) on the block. I keep it simple and classy on the outside, however- wreaths on the doors and garlands on the steps. I'd like to do lights on the garland and on a small tree I planted, but there is no outside plug and our days are too gloomy to do solar powered lights.

Oh yeah... We have to get that out of the way first... lol

OT: I do feel a twinge of pity for Americans who make the turkeys for Christmas and Thanksgiving. Our Thanksgiving is in mid-October, so it gives us nearly a two month break, whereas y'all have only a few weeks before you're doing it all over again!

The easiest way is you do one holiday hosted at person A's house and then the other at person B's house. I always do our family's winter celebration. It is something I insisted on when I got married. I'll go to somebody else's house for Thanksgiving and bring pies. A lot of people here use the Friday following Thanksgiving (which most people who get Thanksgiving off take off) to decorate for Christmas, etc.

 

[flat-top]

A lot of people here use the Friday following Thanksgiving (which most people who get Thanksgiving off take off) to decorate for Christmas, etc.

We've been putting up our tree on Black Friday for years now, which is always challenging since I work retail. I could possibly be awake for 24 hours by the time we start decorating!

 

[sheeplady]

We've been putting up our tree on Black Friday for years now, which is always challenging since I work retail. I could possibly be awake for 24 hours by the time we start decorating!

Ugh. Working retail is hard enough. I can't imagine working on Black Friday. Occassionally I'll go out shopping in late afternoon, but not before that. You deserve kudos for surviving that each year!

 

[AmateisGal]

That's a great blog!

Oh, and don't forget what every vintage Christmas needs: Bing Crosby and Perry Como.

And Nat King Cole.

 

[fortworthgal]

Oh yeah... We have to get that out of the way first... lol

OT: I do feel a twinge of pity for Americans who make the turkeys for Christmas and Thanksgiving. Our Thanksgiving is in mid-October, so it gives us nearly a two month break, whereas y'all have only a few weeks before you're doing it all over again!

We go *all out* for Thanksgiving, so for Christmas we typically do a less extensive menu. We don't have any set food traditions, but we never do turkey at Christmas, usually ham. One year we even did tamales, a Mexican tradition. We aren't Mexican, but they are extremely popular here around Christmas.

 

[flat-top]

And Nat King Cole.

"The Christmas Song" is sacred to me. That's one song that feels wrong to listen to until mid December.

 

[Gregg Axley]

And Nat King Cole.

Yes Nat King Cole is a staple with his songs, good point.

 

[Viola]

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.

 

[flat-top]

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?

You can't go wrong with these:
http://www.christopherradko.com/collection/shiny-brite/

 

[Miss sofia]

Paoer chains are authentic and fun to make too. I always make them at Christmas with the nipper.

Those baubles are ace Flattop. I'm very lucky and got given my Nana's old christmas decorations so i'm sorted.

 

[flat-top]

Paoer chains are authentic and fun to make too. I always make them at Christmas with the nipper.

Those baubles are ace Flattop. I'm very lucky and got given my Nana's old christmas decorations so i'm sorted.

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

 

[flat-top]

Paoer chains are authentic and fun to make too. I always make them at Christmas with the nipper.

Those baubles are ace Flattop. I'm very lucky and got given my Nana's old christmas decorations so i'm sorted.

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

 

[Kishtu]

Last year we acquired in our local pound shop a CD called "A Christmas Gift from the Songbirds" - brilliant CD and I hope that link works cos it looks ever so long to me!

 

[Viola]

You can't go wrong with these:
http://www.christopherradko.com/collection/shiny-brite/

I could kiss you, those are perfect.