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We Wish You a Retro Christmas

Spray-on Snow.

Perhaps no other product better captures the contradictory nature of the mid-century version of Christmas than this strange product. It captures the nostalgia-infused glow of those days while at the same time acknowledging the DOW-chemical embrace of the artificial that characterized the era.

Although we might find it online, spray-on snow was one of the few retro hallmarks we weren't able to obtain this year in our quest for achieving the perfect atomic-era yuletide ambience. Aided by a season of haunting garage sales and flea markets, not to mention the odd church bazaar, we amassed enough vintage touchstones to recreate the halcyon Xmas days of 1966 most effectively.

Most critical to the project was the Haugh's Sapphire Aluminum Christmas Tree rescued from a garage sale this past summer for $5 (top photo, second photo is of the box). Handwritten ballpoint writing on the box dates it to 1969, as well as identifying it as "Helen's Tree". Since picking it up, we've seen similar items on E-Bay for literally hundreds of dollars, so this was one really good bargain. The box tells us it features: stainless foil; extra-long, full branches; permanent curl and twist; distinctive needles; heavy metal stand; foil mechanically fastened to branches; fire-proof; years of use; easy storage; assembled in minutes; sturdy construction; save box for construction. It really was easy to set up, too!

Over the years we've collected quite a number of vintage glass Christmas tree ornaments (picture three), as well. Many of these were made by Alderbrook, of Pickering, Ontario, which has quietly become the leading manufacturer of Christmas decorations and lighting in Canada, expanding to the point where in 1997 it purchased Noma's Christmas division. Alderbrook was founded in 1963 by Noma Executive VP John H. Rice, as Carillon Lighting and Alderbrook Industries. Carillon became the first company in the country to manufacture scotch pine artificial trees, and Alderbrook in turn commenced the manufacture of spun satin tree ornaments that delighted consumers. In Canada, Rice also introduced the use of miniature Christmas lights, which became an instant market hit and the most popular method of lighting for interior trees.

Of course, Christmas atmosphere is a result of more than just the decorations. Holiday carols and Christmas music are as integral to the season as presents and egg nog. This year, we used YouTube to create a Christmas playlist featuring some of the best classic songs. Below are some of the midcentury selections:

I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus - Jimmy Boyd, 1952

At 13 years old, little Jimmy Boyd recorded this song at the urging of Columbia Records, creating what would become one of Columbia's most popular Christmas songs. When it was first released, the song was banned in Boston by the Catholic Church, which felt that it mixed sex with Christmas. Boyd made worldwide news by travelling to Boston and meeting with church leaders to explain the song, after which the ban was lifted the following year. This YouTube version was recorded from the original 78 rpm vinyl.



Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer - Gene Autry, 1949

This Johnny Marks song was offered to - and turned down - by the popular vocalists of the day, but was finally recorded by singing cowboy, Gene Autry. Released in 1949, "Rudolph" became an instant, and huge, success, eventually becoming the second-most popular selling Christmas song of all time, behind "White Christmas."



Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree - Brenda Lee, 1958

Recorded by Brenda Mae Tarpley (better known as Brenda Lee) when she was just 13, this eventual seasonal favourite fared poorly on the charts both in its debut year and the following. But, like "Rudolph", another major hit penned by Johnny Marks, it eventually became a major staple of the season for an entire generation, and sold more than five million copies.



White Christmas - Bing Crosby, 1940

As Wikipedia tells it: " "White Christmas" is an Irving Berlin song reminiscing about an old-fashioned Christmas setting. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the version sung by Bing Crosby is the best-selling single of all time, with estimated sales in excess of 50 million copies worldwide. Accounts vary as to when and where Berlin wrote the song.[4] One story is that he wrote it in 1940, poolside at the Biltmore hotel in Phoenix, Arizona. He often stayed up all night writing — he told his secretary, "Grab your pen and take down this song. I just wrote the best song I've ever written — heck, I just wrote the best song that anybody's ever written!" "



Mistletoe and Holly - Frank Sinatra, 1957

Written by Sinatra, Doc Stanford & Hank Sanicola, this number was picked to be the theme song for the 1960 Christmas Seals campaign. This video is from the 1957 Christmas special that re-teamed Sinatra with Bing Crosby, capitalizing on the heels of their success in "High Society" the previous year.