Not only does the holiday season always bring joy but somehow it also makes us all a little bit more nostalgic than the rest of the year. Whatever the case may be, there’s no denying that a look backward may help add another heartwarming glow to all the festivities.
From the aftermath of a holiday sale at Macy’s to people in Santa costumes handing out presents, travel back in time and take a look at celebrations and preparations from years past through these fascinating vintage pictures:
|
| A young Santa Claus with Christmas toys on a sled drawn by white turkeys, circa 1909. |
|
| Christmas tree market, Berlin, 1899. |
|
| Children looking at Christmas toys in a shop window, New York, 1900s. |
|
| Christmas mail, ca. 1910. |
 |
| Santa Claus in an airplane, 1921. |
|
| Under the mistletoe, 1937. |
|
| A Christmas party in an underground shelter during World War II, London, 1940. |
 |
| A nurse feeding a patient with a spoonful of Christmas pudding at a naval hospital at Kingseat, Scotland, 1941. |
 |
| A Santa Claus balloon collapsed during the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, 1941. |
|
| A young boy carrying a Christmas tree home at Spitalfields Market, London, 1946. (Monty Fresco) |
 |
| Macy's employee cleaning up piles of debris after the Christmas shopping rush, 1948. (Nina Leen) |
 |
| A family decorating their Christmas tree in Yokohama, Japan, circa 1950. |
|
| Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall and their son, Stephen, on Christmas Eve in 1951. |
|
| Vivian Vance, Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz and William Frawley during the 'I Love Lucy Christmas Special', 1956. |
|
| Father and son shopping for Christmas, Milan, 1958. |
|
| Santa from outer space. |
|
| Two women display their holiday hairdos decorated with tinsel and ornaments, circa 1960. |
|
| Jayne Mansfield placing the angel topper on her Christmas tree, 1960. |
 |
| People shopping at Saks Fifth Ave during the Christmas Season, 1962. (Yale Joel) |
 |
| Santa Claus parachuting into Carol City Shopping Center, Florida, 1962. (Lynn Pelham) |
 |
| The Kennedys on Christmas morning, 1962. |
 |
| Couple looking at the Christmas tree from the bank of the frozen Alster, Hamburg, 1965. (H. Schmidt-Luchs) |
|
| A 'living' Christmas tree, 1971. |