What would be done at a birthday party in the 1940s?

[itsalovelyday]

Hello all,
I've lurked here on the Lounge for years, this is my first post!

On to the subject at hand: What kinds of games would be played? Would there be a meal or just cake and ice cream? Party favors? Party hats? Decorations?

My 21st birthday is coming up, so I'd like to have a few friends and my family over and throw a fun little party. I have a great deal of vintage cookbooks (my father always picks them up for me at yard sales) so I thought I might try (in advance to ensure it's tasty!) a recipe from one of those.

I'd love to hear anything you know on the subject!
Thanks very much.

Cait

 

[LizzieMaine]

The basic idea wasn't too different from what's done today -- cake and ice cream, blowing out the candles, party games -- pin the tail on the donkey for the innocent kids, post-office or spin-the-bottle for those a bit older. The cake would more likely be homemade than storebought, and the ice cream would likely be chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry rather than some exotic flavor. Bottled Coke served from a washtub full of ice was a popular beverage. During wartime the pickins might be a bit slimmer on the sweets front, with sugar rationing in force, so the cake likely wouldn't be big or fancy. It's the thought, after all, that counts.

It was often customary for there to be *two* parties -- a "friends" party during the day, and a "family" party at night.

Party hats were usually those cone-shaped paper things in festive colors, and those paper noisemakers that you blow into were popular when greeting the guest of honor. If you had a sense of humor, somebody would likely put out a dribble glass or a whoopee cushion to liven things up a bit.

 

[scottyrocks]

I think the big difference between today's birthday parties and those of even as far back as my childhood is that today's overblown 'theme parties', if they didn't exist, were way less common. Even in the 60s, birthday parties I went to featured candy and cake, hats and horns, and games such as Pin the Tail On the Donkey, and musical chairs. If the parents had more money there might be a pinata <insert tilda>, and if they had a lot of money there might be a pony ride.

There were no gymborees, and bowling alleys were for big, beer-swilling guys.

 

[dhermann1]

If you can get your hands on one, a 78 rpm record player and a stack of 78 records would be cool.

 

[Espee]

And if you were Tuesday Weld, on crutches due to polio, your teen friends would even put on some dusty 1920s records made by your dad (Danny Kaye) who would then be inspired to make a comeback!

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

pinata <insert tilda>

Oscar Tango:
164 + alt = ñ

 

[TraditionalFrog]

I grew up in the 1980's and the parties I was given and attended were much the same as those back in the day described by Lizzie Maine. Mom usually made my favorite meal then there would be cake (usually yellow or chocolate) and ice cream (always vanilla). The cake was either made by mom, or a kindly old lady in the town (Mrs. Adams). After that I'd get a few gifts. Sometimes there'd be a friends/extended family party and mom would either make spaghetti or chili (cheap, feeds lots, and liked across the board). There'd be a cake and ice cream as above, plus the cone hats, the "blow-in-to" noise makers, and a few balloons (the traditional kind, not Mylar). There's be the traditional party games like Hide-And-Go-Seek, Pin the Tail on the Donkey, Musical Chairs, etc. Instead of Coke in glass bottles us kids were given Coke or Kool-Aid (yech) in paper or Styrofoam cups with crushed ice. Later on when cans became big, everyone was given a can of soda and a cup of ice. None of the kids in the town I grew up in had fancy "theme" parties, or parties at sports or entertainment venues. Parties that featured pony rides were for the kids of the moneyed set. After I turned ten I pretty much lost interest in parties (I'm somewhat an introvert), and am now quite happy going out to eat with my parents and sister. Those times were simple and fun. Today's kids don't really know what they're missing!

On an aside, the small town I grew up in was about 25 years behind the times. Still is, but not to the same extent thanks to to the internet and mass media.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Our family birthday tradition was to take each other out to breakfast. With both my parents gone I really miss it.

 

[TraditionalFrog]

I like the breakfast idea. When I was growing up some of the kids I knew got a special or favorite breakfast also. I always thought that'd be fun, but alas breakfast was never a big to do in my family. Dad was off to work by six thirty, and mom usually only had coffee for breakfast. For Dad and I it was almost always cereal except for the occasional Saturday when mom would make eggs and bacon. On Sunday we usually went to a diner called The Hub for breakfast after Mass. I remember they had the best hash browns! Sadly, the place has since burnt down.

 

[KayEn78]

That idea sounds awesome!

Yes, having grown up in the '80s and '90s, birthday parties were pretty similar to those held in the 1940s. We'd always have a "kid" party and then the "family" party.

-Kristi

 

[Deleted member 16736]

The basic idea wasn't too different from what's done today -- cake and ice cream, blowing out the candles, party games -- pin the tail on the donkey for the innocent kids, post-office or spin-the-bottle for those a bit older. The cake would more likely be homemade than storebought, and the ice cream would likely be chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry rather than some exotic flavor. Bottled Coke served from a washtub full of ice was a popular beverage. During wartime the pickins might be a bit slimmer on the sweets front, with sugar rationing in force, so the cake likely wouldn't be big or fancy. It's the thought, after all, that counts.

It was often customary for there to be *two* parties -- a "friends" party during the day, and a "family" party at night.

Party hats were usually those cone-shaped paper things in festive colors, and those paper noisemakers that you blow into were popular when greeting the guest of honor. If you had a sense of humor, somebody would likely put out a dribble glass or a whoopee cushion to liven things up a bit.

Wow, I must be old because I remember playing pin the tail on the donkey and wearing cone-shaped party hats. I also remember "grab bags" filled with party favors given to birthday guests as a departing present. Have things changed that much since the 1970's?

 

[rue]

Wow, I must be old because I remember playing pin the tail on the donkey and wearing cone-shaped party hats. I also remember "grab bags" filled with party favors given to birthday guests as a departing present. Have things changed that much since the 1970's?

Yup, they sure have. I went to my nephew's birthday party and they had one of those bouncy house death trap things and a real fire truck showed up for the kids to take a ride on. I just sat there with my mouth open

 

[Yeps]

Hello all,
I've lurked here on the Lounge for years, this is my first post!

On to the subject at hand: What kinds of games would be played? Would there be a meal or just cake and ice cream? Party favors? Party hats? Decorations?

My 21st birthday is coming up, so I'd like to have a few friends and my family over and throw a fun little party. I have a great deal of vintage cookbooks (my father always picks them up for me at yard sales) so I thought I might try (in advance to ensure it's tasty!) a recipe from one of those.

I'd love to hear anything you know on the subject!
Thanks very much.

Cait

I would be inclined, if I were you, to throw a dinner party or a cocktail party with very little particularly birthday themed about it. Maybe roll up the carpets for a little dancing, and then have cake/ice cream of your choice at some point.

 

[itsalovelyday]

Thank you everyone for your replies!

dhermann1, I've been collecting (and playing) records since I was 14 so that should be easy

Yeps I love your idea as well, and might just do that. I've always wanted to dance at home to some 1950s dance records and this seems like the perfect reason to get my family and friends to humor me.

Thank you all again.

Cait