What Was Christmas Like in 1950s America?

[Music] [Applause] [Music] thank you the 1950s were a time of prosperity and abundance during Christmas in the United States families celebrated with lavish decorations and enjoyed a variety of new holiday Foods many films Foods toys and TV shows from this period have become enduring American Christmas traditions previously the U.S relied on Germany for its Christmas ornaments toys and customs however during the years following World War II the United States became self-sufficient in these areas and American-made decorations and toys were cheaper than their German counterparts traditional Christmas Customs like visiting department store Santas and writing letters to the North Pole remained popular but the era also introduced New Traditions some that continue to be celebrated today let's look at Christmas in the 1950s [Music] during the Eisenhower White House Years first lady Mamie Eisenhower's million dollar fudge recipe was a popular holiday treat it debuted in 1955 in a collection of recipes published by the Women's National Press Club of Washington DC green bean casserole a dish that remains a holiday favorite in America also made its culinary debut in 1955. the casserole was created by the Campbell Soup company it includes green beans cream of mushroom soup plus French's fried onions as a topping French's fried onions reports that 50 percent of their total consumption occurs during the Thanksgiving Christmas and Easter seasons cookie cutting and decorating reached its cultural peak in the 50s Christmas cookie cutouts came in more shapes and designs red plastic Cutters which were used during wartime when metal was scarce where a common item found in 1950s kitchens checks party mix a combination of wheat Chex rice Chex corn Chex nuts pretzels melted butter Worcestershire sauce and onion and garlic powders was also a popular snack during the 1955 holiday season [Music] many homes had an aluminum Christmas tree in the late 1950s these trees were made of aluminum and covered in foil needles they were illuminated by a rotating color wheel the Space Age aesthetic was popular in the 1950s the era was marked by a fascination with space exploration and the potential of Technology many products and designs from this period had a futuristic Space Age feel to them aluminum trees reflected this trend aluminum was a new material and it gave Christmas trees the futuristic appeal the public was looking for their sales peaked between 1958 and 1965. however the popularity of aluminum trees declined quickly after the Airing of A Charlie Brown Christmas in 1965. in the TV special Charlie Brown goes to a lot to buy a tree but it's not the aluminum trees that catch his eye instead he chooses a small real sapling this scene contributed to the Public's perception that aluminum trees were artificial and inauthentic and they soon fell out of favor they were never again widely used NORAD Tracks Santa is a holiday event when North American Aerospace Defense command or NORAD simulates the tracking of Santa Claus the simulation begins on December 23rd at midnight this event has been held every year since 1955 and serves as a community outreach program for NORAD the program originated in 1948 when the United States Air Force claimed to have detected Santa's sleigh on radar but it was not repeated until 1955 when a child misdialed a number in a Sears advertisement and reached the Continental Air Defense command center or ConEd conad later used this incident as a public relations opportunity and announced that they were tracking Santa's sleigh NORAD took over the reporting responsibility in 1958 and the event has continued annually since [Music] the post-world War II era saw developments in the creation of Christmas tree ornaments Shiny Bright and other businesses began Mass producing low-cost glass ornaments while bubble lights were introduced as a new type of novelty light foreign plastic electrified tree toppers in the shape of stars and Angels also became popular during this time [Music] decorated water reservoir tree stands became available in the 1940s and 10 Christmas tree stands including lithographed holiday icons were produced in the 1950s fluorescent pastel lights were introduced by Sylvania in 1946 Noma produced flashing lights in 1955. in 1950 fairy lights were imported from Europe and became a popular yet affordable decoration [Music] the Christmas Toy Craze that emerged in the post-war period had its roots in Clement Clark Moores a visit from Saint Nicholas in the poem Santa Claus is portrayed as a jolly old elf who brings toys to children in the 19th century Germany was the toy manufacturing capital of the world but import expenses made German toys expensive in America the cost of toys decreased when toy makers from Germany started mass producing them at the direction of Frank Woolworth and transporting them to Woolworths warehouses for distribution with the loss of toys from Germany in American stores during World War One American toy manufacturing picked up steam the Great Depression temporarily slowed the industry but World War II proved to be a catalyst after the war couples in America were eager to have children and give them the luxurious Christmases they never experienced this led to the introduction of games and toys that are still made today including the hula hoop and Barbie television also played a role in cultivating the United States Christmas toy Market [Music] manufacturers began advertising directly to Children bypassing parents Mr Potato Head was the earliest toy to be advertised on TV and its sales exceeded four million dollars in its first year Plato's sales also increased after it was advertised on popular kids television programs like Captain Kangaroo let us know your thoughts in the comments section if you like this video be sure to hit the Thumbs Up Button subscribe for more videos like this and turn on the notification Bell so you don't miss any future videos thanks for watching the history stop and we'll see you next time [Music]

Channel: The History Stop - Short History Documentaries

Views: 197,202

Keywords: history, christmas, christmas history, american history, us history, 1950s, vintage christmas, holidays, holiday history

Id: 1TDH2FzPDu4

Length: 8min 11sec (491 seconds)

Published: Thu Dec 22 2022