What was Christmas like, in the 50's? Back to Golden Days

Brings back memories of the hustle and bustle of downtown shopping.

I remember the days when all of the major department stores were still locally owned and each one tried to outdo the other with decorations and window displays. Every purchase seemed to end up in a box, lined with tissue paper, bearing the store's colors and then into a sturdy shopping bag. You could look at the packages a shopper had and know exactly where they had been.

I also remember the ponds of slush on every street corner and the methods that people used to navigate them, some men pulled up their pant legs, some women tiptoed, children were hoisted by one arm and many young adults just jumped.

The smells from the Karmelkorn Shoppe and the Planters Peanut store.

One of our department stores had a monorail for the children that took them around the store, lots of hard surfaces and sharp edges in those days but we all survived the trip!

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Loved the video. We had a store in Hackensack NJ not far from where I lived growing up. Packard Bambergers. It had just about everything you could want. During the holiday season they turned the upstairs into a winter wonderland. Trains,Santa and a huge selection of toys.

The grocery department was fantastic. Wooden floors and saw dust. I remember the barrels of pickles. You could pick them out yourself. dills, half sour,and many more.

We didn't shop there often because in the 50's my dad took the car for work and we would have to go by bus but my mom made sure we went at least once during the holiday season which was a real treat.

Aunt Bea you did outdo my store with that monorail though. Must have been such fun.packards-700x393.jpg
 
What a smashing Thread! Love the pics and posts. Christmas for me back in the 50's was special. An only child I spent time with rellies and close cousins.
I recall my Mother's Sister had annual get togethers at their house and us kids enacted the Nativity.
My Uncle did the organising and us cousins played our roles and two were sisters and always got the plumb roles especially Dee who was very precociuos youngster and demaned to be Mary. Jesus was a doll wrapped in a blanket in a bed of straw.

My other cousins played smaller roles as I did and were Shepherds and Kings and Angels. This Nativity was magic and I can see it all in my mind's eye. I think folk were more mindful of the Nativity back then.

Going to bed with a pillow case at the end of the bed and waking to find it stuffed with goodies and in my child- like way was agog with excitement thinking "He's (Santa)been"!! 🎅👍

I lived in central London, England and our flat overlooked the River Thames and we could see the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben from the front windows of the flat. It was sheer magic and New Years Eve was amazing and the ships hooters on the river would sound at the stroke of midnight from Big Ben.
Shopping was simple for my Parents but plentiful with good food and treats.
The Queen's Speech on Christmas Day was listened to with reverence by the majority of the populace.
Will conjure up more of my memories of Christmas in the 1950's
 
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Kaufman's was the big department store in Pittsburgh, growing up.:D
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The Buel Planetarium was a regular stop to see the Christmas train display
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"The image is from a Sixth War Loan parade in East Liberty during the holiday season of 1944, which was also advertised as the East Liberty Chamber of Commerce Christmas Parade. Uncle Sam and two Santas (maybe one is a helper) are standing at the top of the “Toyland Express” train bringing holiday spirit and reminding Pittsburghers to include a few more war bonds in their Christmas stockings. "

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What awesome dept stores and buildings you have in America and Canada. We have Selfridges and John Lewis House of Fraser Harrods to name but a few. Wonderful buildings and architrcture lovingly and maintained. I am so pleased and happy these old massive stores are still trading and these lean days in the world of retail it's good to know but wonder if some will shut their famous doors😕
 
London, England is a paradise for large dept stores and always was back in the 50's. DH Evans, Bourne & Hollingsworth, Libertys, Peter Robinson and in Chelsea, London Peter Jones Hamleys Toys stores and a children's paradise.

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Somehow, it was always the coldest night of the year when we'd go downtown to see "the windows" and make a visit to Santa in the auditorium on the 7th floor of the biggest department store. We'd be dressed for the Arctic and then would broil when we got inside. Coats, leggings, boots, gloves, scarves.

There would be a small Salvation Army band playing carols ever so slightly out of tune. The big monument in the middle of downtown was turned into a Christmas tree with strings of lights.

Christmas was magic, sheer magic.
 

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