It's a Wonderful Christmas: The Best of the Holidays 1940-1965

by Susan Waggoner

Even now that we're all grown up, we can't help but look back on our childhood holidays and hope to recapture that elusive spirit of joyful anticipation. Celebrating Christmas is so often about nostalgia. With a nod and a wink to the days of Christmas past, It's a Wonderful Christmas presents classic images of the Yuletide icons of mid-20th-century America.

Bubbler lights and glow-in-the-dark icicles. Catalogues crammed with toys. Norad bulletins tracking Rudolph's red nose through the nighttime sky. Along with hundreds of such quintessentially American illustrations, author Susan Waggoner stocking-stuffs her lively text with fascinating bits of information, lore, and lists. Wonder what the all-time most popular Christmas song is? How the tradition of the department store Santa got started? The answers are here. Loaded with images of vintage Christmas cards, wrapping paper, magazine ads, Lionel toy trains, and more, all in full color, this charming book will appeal to anyone who associates Christmas with home movies, "The Chipmunk Song," and Santa relaxing with an ice-cold bottle of Coca-Cola.

Genres: Christmas, Nonfiction, History, Holiday

104 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2004

Reviews

[Suzi]

It's May 1, 20202, and I'm sheltering in place and feeling sad and old and lonely. this book is a very cheerful reminder of fun times in the past and to come. For people in our senior years, it's a reminder of what we grew up with. Green bean casserole, chex mix, 4 cent stamps. I am sending copies to a few friends because we all need cheering up, too. And to have something to look forward again. So what if Neiman-Marcus files for bankruptcy, I can still remember not getting the his and her airplanes or a Whitman's Sampler from Woolworth's either. Great illustrations, easy to handle price. Nostalgia when we need it.

[Kathryn]

For sheer fun and enjoyment, I'd rate this five stars. It's just thorough enough to give you some fun and interesting tidbits, but brief enough that you can read through it fairy quickly and not feel like you have to read a dissertation during the busy holidays. That said, I do wish there had been a bit more back matter, some sources given or suggestions for further reading. Still, this definitely fulfilled my wishes for some vintage holiday charm :-) The pictures are great, some sections (such as Christmas during the war) were really thought-provoking and some of the categories are really fun: toys, fashion, decorations, trees, Christmas cards, etc. I recommend it as a coffee table, conversation piece, or just some fun and light reading. I think it could be fun and nostalgic for those who grew up during this era. (If you want a lot of details, or something on the more religious aspects of the holiday, look elsewhere.)

[Teresa Musgrove]

I want to give this book 5 stars for the illustrations and 2 stars for the text, which I guess averages out to 3 stars. I'm disappointed that there are no credits given for these vintage illustrations from the 1940s to 1960s, many of which are from catalogs and cookbooks. The text needed major editing. So many misspellings. Laura "Ingles"?? Wilder?? And there was some repetition from one section to another. So, don't read this for the words--read it for the glorious pictures!!

[Alice Teets]

I loved the artwork in this book - filled with drawings and ads from mid-century, this was a treasure. Stuffed with random tidbits and factoids about my favorite holiday, my only complain is that it just ended, bluntly, without at least some attempt to wrap it all up.

[Steven Peterson]

Quite a bit of fun! What Christmas songs were special on a year to year basis? On page 46, we get an answer. 1942, "White Christmas"; 1944, "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"; 1949, "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer"; 1950, "Sleigh Ride." And so on. One section focuses on gifts for grown ups. 1940s? Folding card tables cost $4; Sunbeam electric razor cost $24.50; a 45 RPM record ran $.45. 1950s? Women's gloves were $2; Portable record player was $47.80. 8 mm movie projector=$75. And so on. Kids' Christmas gifts are also considered, bringing back memories to me. 1952 brought us Mr. Potato Head and 1957 saw the Wham-O Frisbee come onto the scene.

Wow! Lots of fun!

[Steven H]

AN EXCELLENT AND WELL-ILLUSTRATED OVERVIEW OF CULTURAL TRADITIONS

Author Susan Waggoner begins this 2004 book, “Throughout much of the world, for the past two millennia, Christmas has been the biggest event on the holiday calendar. Yet Christmas has not always been the same from era to era. It has been celebrated in many different ways, shifting in focus and intent over the centuries. In colonial America, complaints about drunkenness and relaxed morals were common, but by the early 19th century, it had become more subdued and private, with most families celebrating quietly at home. Then came the Victorian era, a watershed replete with sentimental longings, a rising middle class, and a thrilling new array of manufactured goods. Those who like to decry the so-called ‘commercialism’ of Christmas must look back more than a century… to find the source of all the fuss… 20th century America also left its stamp on Christmas… the biggest consumer society the world has ever known has made Christmas a bigger, brighter event than before… Even during the depths of the Depression, Christmas was as lavish as people could possibly afford to make it. World War II added a layer of bittersweet poignance, with songs like … ‘I’ll Be Home for Christmas’ expressing a deep longing for home and family. As soon as peace and prosperity returned, that dream was fulfilled. Families seemed determined to make up for lost time… The big American Christmas had been born…” (Pg. 7)

She observes, “There is no single theory as to why we wrap Christmas gifts, but mercantilism certainly played a part. In the second half of the 19th century, store owners discovered that placing ordinary items, such as pens and handkerchiefs, in specially decorated boxes, persuaded customers to buy them as Christmas gifts. The custom of leaving gifts under the tree also helped, and by the early 1880s wrapping gifts was standard procedure.” (Pg. 37)

She states, “Judging by the volume of cranky protest about it, Christmas has always been too commercial… As the volume of manufactured goods and the incomes to afford them rose, so did stores’ efforts to sell them. It didn’t take retailers long to figure out that Christmas was an opportune time to do this, that a short, intense burst of frenzied selling could make a lean year fat and fat year golden… Was this much-criticized plunge toward commercialism all bad? Not if you were a clerk, manufacturer, ad writer, or sales representative… During the Depression, it was the income of the holiday season that allowed many storeowners to survive.” (Pg. 41-42)

She notes, “So important did the intense, month-long burst of Christmas-related shopping become to the national economic well-being that, in 1939, when Thanksgiving fell on the last day of a five-Thursdayed November… Stores protested the shortened shopping season. President Roosevelt moved the holiday up a week, thus adding six days to the shopping season. In 1941, Congress passed a bill officially moving Thanksgiving from the ‘last Thursday’ to the ‘fourth Thursday,’ ensuring that there would always be a maximum number of shopping days.” (Pg. 43)

She explains, “Santa began his transition from wispy spirit to cheerful fat man in 19th century America. Clement Moore’s famous poem described him as a ‘right jolly old elf’ and made it clear that his obligation wasn’t to the poor but to children. He no longer distributed necessary items like food and clothing but handed out luxurious toys---dolls that said ‘Maa,’ elaborate sets of toy soldiers, miniature tea sets and bicycles too big to wrap. Mom and Dad could be counted on for a few toys, for books and clothing and other modest items, but in a growing number of households it was Santa who left the really coveted goods.” (Pg. 83-84)

She asks, “Do you do Christmas on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day? To be sure, most people do something on both, but what people do on each of these days can differ radically. For some people, Christmas Eve is the big event, with friends and family gathering together for a festive smorgasbord, while Christmas Day is spent quietly at home, with just the nuclear family. In other homes, Christmas Eve is the quiet time, and Christmas Day the time for visiting and hoopla…. forty, fifty, sixty years ago… The idea of going to a movie on Christmas Day … would have struck most people as hopelessly secular, and even going to a Christmas Eve concert would have seemed avant garde. If the TV went on, it was probably in the home of some lone Scrooge… So great was the pressure that many parents broke Christmas into a two-part event regardless of how they themselves had been raised, allowing some presents to be opened on Christmas Eve, and saving Santa’s gifts for Christmas Day.” (Pg. 93)

This wonderfully-illustrated book will be of great interest to those who enjoy the cultural history of Christmas.

[Marty]

I ordered this book because I thought it was a book with lots of pictures of vintage Christmas items. It turned out to be so much more! It is a comprehensive history of the celebration of Christmas in the US from Colonial Times (celebrated with “drunkenness and relaxed morals” - oh, those Pilgrims!!!) to the sixties. It covers everything from songs to decorations to traditions. It goes into great detail. An example is that I knew glass ornaments were made in Germany. After WWII, Corning Glass bought the biggest factory, learned the process, and founded Shiny Brite. I didn’t know that Corning produced 2,000 balls a minute and sent them to Shiny Brite for decorating. The pictures of vintage Christmas Seals, wrapping paper and decorations illustrate the changes in graphic design as the decades progressed. Yep, I sat down and read this in one day. I couldn’t put it down. The only bad thing about the book is that I’ve made a list of vintage Christmas items that I want to buy - a LONG list. If you’re interested in the history of Christmas in the US, this book is the best I’ve read!

[Diane]

I bought this book for my Mom a few years ago. I have no idea if she read it. I suspect not as I'm sure we would have had some amazing conversations about our family and Christmas traditions. The book ended up back with me as they often do. I started reading this just as school finished for the Christmas break. What a delightful treasure trove of Christmas history American style. As a baby boomer from 1959, this book gave me some fascinating insights not only to how we celebrated Christmas but to my childhood. I also learned quite a bit about parenting, technology, and consumerism either between the lines or blatantly smacking me over the head. I was constantly sharing tidbits about toys, songs, shopping, trees... accompanied with a "I remember that!"

[Clark]

I enjoyed this book probably more than any other book I have ever read. Illustrations were great. I spent half my time soaking in all the trivia and the other half just staring at the pictures and prices of old merchandise. Any baby boomer that had a decent childhood should love this book.

[Megan Close Zavala]

3 1/2 stars. This ends abruptly and has curious organization choices, but boy is it delightful. I love Christmas anytime, but it’s hard not to long for celebrating it during the “good old days.” A wonderful celebration for any time of year.

[Joe]

This is a great book to read during the holiday season. The book provides lots of fun facts and history that extend well before the 1940s before focusing on 1940s to mid 1960s. My only complaint is that it ended quite suddenly without at least a few paragraphs to neatly tie things up.

[Angie Kennedy]

I love books like this, especially the vintage ads, but I found the amount of typos really annoying. It's not rocket science to check the spelling of famous people's names (Laura Wilder vs. Ingles) or spell checking words like 'stiching' or 'Slanta'. It just looks sloppy.

[Linda]

This book was just so much fun to read, since I grew up in the 40's and 50's. It was just great to think of all those fond memories of food, clothing, toys etc. It was definitely a trip down memory lane that I just loved!

[Zombaby Cera]

Really fun and informative.

[Jackie]

A nostalgic look at Christmas traditions during the 1940s to 1965. An entertaining look back for those us that remember some of those years fondly.

[Rhonda Fonicello]

Purchased at WDW Christmas 2015 and finally got around to reading it this year! Really cool look back at Christmas traditions over the mid-century decades of my mother and grandmother!

[Kayoc]

Very fun read. Lots of history and trivia.

[Lisa]

A history of the commercialization of Christmas. (I did not read this entire book, just sort of skimmed it.)

Some of the trivia I found most interesting:

Macy’s department store in NY observed its first open-until-midnight Christmas Eve in 1867.

During her eight years as First Lady, Mamie Eisenhower not only personally shopped for gifts for the White House staff but wrapped each one herself to save money. (Wow)

Little Golden Books were introduced in 1942. Green bean casserole and Chex Mix both made their debut in 1955.

The most interesting trivia related to wartime rationing. Here are a few of the items affected:
* Americans not involved in vital war work could only purchase 4 gallons of gas per week, enough to drive about 60 miles. Later, this was reduced by a gallon.
* New bicycles: Now a legitimate form of adult transportion, purchasing a new bike required a written certificate from the local ration board.
* Charge accounts—Bills had to be paid within two months or accounts were frozen.
* As of 1942, homeowners could only purchase 66% of the heating oil they’d purchased in 1941. Theoretically, this allowed homes to be heated to 65 degrees but only theoretically. The winter of ’42-‘43 was unusually frigid. Eventually, firewood and coal were also rationed.

This book focuses solely on the secular celebration of Christmas. I saw only one religious allusion in the entire book: “Some families went to candlelight church services…” Materialism and trifles: I don’t think this reflects the true pulse of Christmas in this country from 1940-1965.

[Roberta]

Susan Waggoner has done it again. This volume is perfect for Baby Boomers who want to revisit the Christmases of their youth. The author details the history of many aspects of Christmas as we know it today: trees and decorations, including paper and lights; gifts and the shopping frenzy (which isn't as new as you might expect); Santa; and celebrations and food. This book is beautifully illustrated with nostalgic pictures that will make you feel like a kid again if you're a Boomer like I am.

There were three things I had never heard of before: a 1950 Christmas song "There's No Christmas Like a Home Christmas" by Perry Como (look it up on YouTube); a much-desired space-age-looking toy called a Wannatoy Coupe (1946 - before my time); and the now defunct Nesselrode Pie made "famous" by Hortense Spier. I thought about reviving this dessert until I looked up the recipe and saw a photo online. It looks absolutely disgusting. No wonder it fell out of fashion.

This is the third Susan Waggoner book of this type I've read. She does extensive research and her books are always well-organized. My only complaint about this one is that it was very poorly edited. There are glaring typographical errors that a good editor should have caught.

January Update: During my own Christmas shopping frenzy, I was surprised to hear "There's No Christmas Like a Home Christmas" being played in one of the stores. Curious. I never noticed that song before I read this book - and I am a AVID fan of obscure and/or unusual Christmas songs - and there it was playing for all the world to hear.

[Keith]

I found this book really interesting, and I loved all the photos. Even though I only come in at the tail end of it's target years, many of my Christmas memories were shaped by the 1940s and 1950s, when my parents were raising my three sisters. There were lots of interesting little tidbits for my inner history buff, and I was surprised at how many things I could point to and say, "Yes, my mother had that."

[Amy]

I love the advertising, toys, culture and traditions from the past. My favorite holiday is Christmas and I loved this pretty little book. I will look at it every year. I think Christmas was more charming and special in years past. I also think the toys meant more to children and the magic of Santa was more alive back then.

[Diana]

Interesting

[Pam]

I adore this book.Purchased it because I wanted to create a Christmas Party one year that reminded me of growing up during this time.Great ideas and choked full of ideas,history,etc.

[Debbie]

Illustrations are wonderful. I learned many interesting facts about Christmas during the war.