Era guide · 1950–1965
Christmas in the 1950s
Aluminum trees, bubble lights, and casseroles on the good china.
A postwar Christmas
After years of rationing, the 1950s Christmas was bright, new and proudly modern. Families who had moved to the suburbs filled picture windows with aluminum trees and color wheels, plugged in bubble lights, and set the table with gelatin salads that showed off the new refrigerator. Television arrived in the living room, but the radio still carried carols and department-store toy announcements through December.
The story
The Year the Aluminum Tree Spun
Dad brought home a silver tree and a rotating color wheel. The living room became a disco a decade early.
Read the story →The decor
Shiny Brite & Ceramic Trees
Pastel glass baubles and a glowing ceramic tree from Mom's ceramics class. Shiny Brite glass baubles, made by Max Eckardt in the US once German imports stopped, hung beside bubble lights — a 1946 hit that bubbled as the bulb warmed.
More traditions and decor →
The recipe
Cranberry Jell-O Ring
Wobbling proudly at the center of the table, it was as much decoration as dessert.
Prep 15 min · Chill 7 h or overnight
Get the recipe →On the radio
- The Department Store Hour · 1953
Sponsored carols, toy announcements, and a jingle for electric trains you can still hum.
- Midnight Bells from Europe · 1959
Shortwave hiss gives way to church bells half a world away.
In the mailbox
- Atomic Ornaments · 1957
Starbursts and boomerang shapes in pink and turquoise. Space-age optimism, hung on a tree.
- Greetings from the Ski Lodge · 1962
A family in matching sweaters. The handwriting says only: 'Wish you were here. Bring the fruitcake.'