As a child of Generation X, I am filled with a wonderful, heartwarming sense of Christmas nostalgia whenever I come across decorations from the 1950s, 1960s and Space Age era. These were the decorations I grew up with—the precious things my parents brought out every year at the same time, carefully wrapped in tissue paper and stored safely away from curious little hands in beautiful boxes in the attic.
My father and I had a solemn little tradition: together, we would decorate the Christmas tree. Although, to be fair, I mostly put everything on a single branch. Later that evening, after I had gone to bed, my father would quietly rearrange the decorations to make the tree look perfect.
The next day, we would proudly present our masterpiece to my mother, who would reward us with the praise we deserved, tears welling up in her eyes. I suspect those tears were mostly due to the relief of not having to untangle the Christmas lights herself.
As an adult, I have never let those old Christmas decorations disappear into the past. I was fortunate enough to inherit some from my late grandmother, while others were passed down to me by my mother.
In an age defined by stress and hurried shopping, I find an extraordinary sense of peace and happiness in knowing that I have all these treasures waiting to be brought out every Christmas.
Yes, my habit of hunting for new treasures online and at the occasional flea market will probably follow me to the grave. But most of my Christmas spirit comes from the nostalgic childhood memories that come flooding back whenever I unpack these unique decorations.
Here are some of my favorites:
1. My Japanese Pinecone Santa
My Japanese Pinecone Santa, ca 1950
I come from a family of sailors, and my grandmother visited Japan in the 1950s. At the time, Japan had a thriving Christmas decoration industry. When she returned to Norway, she brought back several kneeling Santas, ornaments, bottle-brush trees and the pinecone Santa.
As a child, I found this particular Santa absolutely terrifying. My grandmother always placed him on the sofa, and whenever someone moved, he would emit an ominous little squeak.
Today, he sits on my sofa every Christmas, reminding me of my grandmother’s laughter.
The ultimate Christmas nostalgia.
2. Two Chubby Santa Candles
2. Two Chubby Santa Candles, ca 1960
At one point, my family decided to try their luck in Canada, as so many Scandinavians did. The post-war years were difficult, and they hoped to find a better future “over there,” all the way in Vancouver.
After two years in a foreign country that turned out to be even colder than Norway, combined with hard work and the challenges of learning a new language, they decided to return home.
They packed up their belongings—which consisted of a kitchen table with four chairs, their clothes, and two chubby Santa candles.
My mother always placed the candles on top of the television at Christmas. I loved them as a child because they reminded me of the little Santas in Disney’s Christmas cartoons featuring Chip ‘n’ Dale.
Later, we made a pact never to light them.
3. My Christmas Ornament Collection
If my house ever caught fire, my Christmas ornaments would be very high on the list of things I would try to save.
I have collected many over the years, but my absolute favorites come from the Space Age and Atomic Age. The fragile mercury glass ornaments shipped from America, Germany and Ukraine have caused me more than a few sleepless nights. Those that have survived the journey will remain treasured memories for years to come.
One of the things I love most is that, even when ornaments come from roughly the same period, you can often tell almost immediately whether one was made in America, Germany or Ukraine.
Vintage Christmas Decorations in Mercury Glass, ca 1970
Ukrainian makers loved ornaments shaped like fruit, animals, babushka figures, harlequins and Saint Nicholas. You can also find an extraordinary variety of cosmonauts, spaceships and other wonderfully eccentric designs. The fact that many of them feature clips makes them particularly distinctive—and wonderfully easy to attach to the tree.
The Germans were the true Feinschmeckers of Christmas decoration and holiday nostalgia. Their intricately indented ornaments are nothing short of miniature works of art.
And, of course, we cannot talk about beautiful vintage ornaments without mentioning the colorful Shiny Brite ornaments from America. Bright, cheerful and optimistic—just like Americans themselves.
Shiny Brite, USA, ca 1960
