1960-'s Christmas Memories

[figmentvi]

Originally posted by JasonLyons
I wish I could go back for one more Christmas eve as a kid in the 60,s, I would hang on to every minute of it

Jason, you took the words right out of my mouth. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were so incredible. I still remember feeling so small next to our tree. Listening to Mitch Miller Christmas special while decorating the tree. My Mom's endless baking of goodies. Gosh those are wonderful memories.

 

[oldkicker]

You pointed this toward your white aluminum tree, Snoops.....

Does anyone remember Christmas Cigarette Cartons?

I remember the old bubble lights on our Christmas tree. They still make them, we bought a couple of sets a few years ago...

 

[Cindy B]

I was not born in the 60's but my grandparents (now deceased ) had one of those silver aluminum trees with the color wheel.


At the time, it was corny, but now I would have loved to have that. They had satin balls on it too...

There also was the heavy tinsel...

 

[oldkicker]

Another memory.

My Dad took home movies each Christmas. He'd wait for us to wake up and come down the stairs. He had one of those movie cameras with a row of huge light bulbs above it. They were incredibly bright. All of the movies show us in our new Christmas pajamas, walking down the stairs, burying our faces in the crook of our arms, blinded by the light......

 

[Krisu]

After our school Christmas party we all watched a movie. It was The Night before Christmas and The Nativity. It was done with marionettes, does anyone remember seeing that? I also remember my brother and I unable to sleep,my sister was a baby, and he said he smelled pipe smoke. I was terrified Santa was in the house and would know we were awake I don't remember ever telling my parents I didn't believe in Santa anymore. Maybe I should let my mother know now!!

 

[piratesmate]

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!! This is the best thread!

I've enjoyed reading everyone's memories They mirror so many of my own - although we didn't have the aluminum tree & color wheel.

heavy tinsel
bubble lights - that got HOT!
movie camera - those lights not only blinded you, they also overheated the room
I still have our Booby Trap game w/wooden pieces
....
But my favorite memories involve my grandparents.

My Dad's mother spent the C'mas Eve & Day with us. She saved all the wrapping paper, ribbons & bows to use "next year." She'd cover the store logos on boxes with pictures from old C'mas cards & re-use the boxes year after year. (We still have a couple.)

My Mom's parents would come down for the noon meal, bringing homemade sweaters, slippers or mittens. Later we'd all pile in the car & make the rounds to our cousins' houses to see their gifts.

Lots of laughter and giggling...I really miss my grandparents - and on a lighter note, being able to sit on the floor!

Deb

 

[Cindy B]

Originally posted by piratesmate
My Dad's mother spent the C'mas Eve & Day with us. She saved all the wrapping paper, ribbons & bows to use "next year." She'd cover the store logos on boxes with pictures from old C'mas cards & re-use the boxes year after year. (We still have a couple.)


Deb

My grandmother would do the same thing!!!!! She would always always tear paper carefully, and reuse bows... (you would see paper used again, and the cards (the front) being used for gift tags as well... my mother still does this!

 

[Lucky4me]

My memories are so close to a lot of yours. Towncrier, those home movies are priceless to me because my Mom is in them. I remember her waving the camera away and covering her face. She was embarrassed to be filmed in her robe but she didn't need be, she looked beautiful! When DH videotapes on Christmas morning I try not to do the same thing. One day my kids and Grandkids will be looking at these tapes and remembering me. At least we don't have a 10,000 watt bulb in our eyes any more. lol

 

[Local_Girl]

Cindy B and piratesmate--

My mom did the same thing with cards, bows and papers!! And covering store logos on the boxes! Too funny! I bet it goes back to the need to be frugal during the Depression era. Whether they actually lived during that time period or not (my mom was a child), their parents did. You know, I still keep my Christmas cards and sometimes cut up the pictures to use for gift tags...and we always keep bows. Isn't it interesting what traits/values we get from our parents without even realizing it.

 

[Buckalew]

Me too, Jason.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Originally posted by oldkicker
....You pointed this toward your white aluminum tree, Snoops.....

Does anyone remember Christmas Cigarette Cartons?

I remember the old bubble lights on our Christmas tree. They still make them, we bought a couple of sets a few years ago...

Snoop, you make me feel ancient, LOL.

The Christmas cigarette cartons was how I told my folks I smoked. They both smoked so they could not smell it on me. I received a holiday decorated carton of Luckies (my brand) from a co-worker secret Santa at the grocery store where I worked as a 15 year old. I thought it time to break the news (I had been smoking about 2 years) and brought it home. My mom said, 'Gee, Dan, that's too bad, you got something you can't use.' LOL, well they was surprised, but not terribly dismayed, when I said it was a good gift for me. My, how times have changed. Could you imagine giving cigarettes as a gift today?!?!?!

Love bubble lights. So festive they are.

 

[Disneydenise]

My best Christmas ever was in the 60's . There was a blizzard and none of our relatives were going to be able to come so we were all able to play with our toys and our friends from the nieghborhood all day. We had dinner at our house with the neighbors and eveyone brought something. Later that night my wonderful cousin managed to get some of my cousins to our house and everyone stayed overnight. Sadly many of those folks are gone now but we have great movies of Santa Ray driving up with the car loaded with people. It made my mother so happy. Our house was little by standards now but we found room for eveyone. I don't remember a single gift from that Christmas but it was my best ever.
I think we had a silver tree with hot pink satin balls and of course a color wheel.
My brother and I would play Red Rover for the week before christmas every night after dinner once my dad put up the huge lights around the windows outsde.

 

[sandramaac]

And remember how you went to a Department Store to get your picture with Santa and not the mall atrium area.

Anyone remember these Philly department stores

Lit Brothers---where I awalys had my pic with Santa

Strawbridge and Clothier----they use to have the enchanted village


Gimbels---Macy's big rival

 

[sandramaac]

And remember how you went to a Department Store to get your picture with Santa and not the mall atrium area.

Anyone remember these Philly department stores

Lit Brothers---where I awalys had my pic with Santa

Strawbridge and Clothier----they use to have the enchanted village


Gimbels---Macy's big rival

 

[yoopermom]

My dear grandmother (still alive and kicking at 92) spent many a year *ironing* the wrapping paper so she could reuse it the next year (and the year after that, and the year after that...).

And we sure didn't get as many gifts as kids (incl. my DS, I hate to admit) get now!

Loved it, though...

Terri the Yoopermom
who still has bubble lights on her tree...

 

[montessori]

This is a wonderful thread!
I'd love to have an aluminum tree with the color wheel, they're so expensive now.
They're very IN, with the whole Retro thing being so popular.

Downtown Boston on a cold snowy night!
Every store window was decorated with Christmas scenes and animated figurines.
We'd be all dressed to have our picture taken with Santa.

I'll never forget the play gas station my brothers got one Christmas morning, made out of sheet metal.

I cut my foot on it and had to go get stitches!

 

[Blondie]

If this photo of me doesn't say 1960's Christmas, I don't know what does!

The year was 1962 or 1963.

Notice the Beanie and Cecil record player in the background!

 

[Blondie]

Originally posted by sandramaac
And remember how you went to a Department Store to get your picture with Santa and not the mall atrium area.

Anyone remember these Philly department stores

Lit Brothers---where I awalys had my pic with Santa

Strawbridge and Clothier----they use to have the enchanted village


Gimbels---Macy's big rival

Hey!! I had my picture with Santa taken at the Lit Brothers in South Philly, right off of Passyunk Avenue!

I worked at Gimbels right out of high school!

And my all time favorite "down town" store was John Wanamaker! That place was a legend!

 

[DebbieR]

This thread is great! I've been feeling very nostalgic for the "old fashioned" Christmases the last few years. There were things mentioned that I had completely forgotten about!

What I remember.....

Barbie's Karousel Kitchen (this was actually early 70's) available only thru the Sears Wish Book - I asked for it 4 years in a row and never got it! Two years ago I went out on eBay and bought it for myself

Playdough Fun Factory - I'm not sure exactly why I never received this one as a child....... but my coworkers got me one for Christmas a couple years ago. What is it that parents have against playdough?

anyone remember the game where you used straws to pull cherries off a pie, or the one where 2 people had this contraption around their waists and they had to swing their hips to get this thing to turn around in the middle

my grandparents house (pre-divorce) where no one ever missed and everyone got a stocking stuffed full of all kinds of goodies, a fire in the fireplace, and a gaudy flashing tree topper - Christmas dinner at the "kids" table, and grammy's apple pie that was about 6 inches high and served with ice cream, and almost always snow on the ground to test out new sleds and toboggans

Where have those days gone.......



Debbie R
who just turned 40 and is trying to recapture some of her youth

 

[Disneydenise]

Hey I remember Lit Brothers. I remember going to see the lite show at John Wanamkers and having lunch in the Crystal Tea room. We got all dressed up to go in town. I loved taking the train. We took our kids every year to see the show in Wanamakes until it changed to Lord and Taylors. We still go but it isn't as fun as when they were little. Now they just go to have dinner out. I had my daughters picture taken with Santa when she was 9 months old in Wanamakers with her screaming at the top of her lungs. Merry Christmas.