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Vintage Christmas
Step into a vintage Christmas wonderland, exploring the old-fashioned traditions, classic decorations, and timeless recipes that rekindle the kind of holiday magic you remember!
Food: Christmas recipes | Christmas dessert recipes | Holiday cookie recipes
More: Holiday crafts | Christmas trees | Ornaments | Decor
Christmas by decade: 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s
🎅 100 vintage Christmas scenes so sweet, you’ll want a time machine
🥘 24 strange vintage Christmas appetizers you don’t see much anymore
🎀 Bad vintage Christmas ads: Retro holiday sales pitches you’d never see today
The Toys R Us catalog was serious business for 80s kids. Flip through the 1986 Out of this World Toy Book and holiday catalogs from ’87 and ’88.
This retro recipe for a cold glazed baked ham is coated with a version of chaud droid, then decorated with pimiento, green pepper and olives.
Here, see a dozen old-fashioned classic board games that are freshly-made, but look just like you remember… or, at least, pretty close.
Try these hot rum recipes for winter drinks made with cider, coffee, tea or eggnog. Easy to make and good for cold nights or holiday gatherings.
These vintage recipes turn Italian dressing mix into easy holiday appetizers like wings, dips, and canapés — all fast to make and ready for any party.
We’ve rounded up 30 dramatically different examples of 1950s Christmas tree decorations — come be inspired by these lavishly decorated Christmas trees!
The official photos with Santa – once called ‘sitting on Santa’s lap’ – has been around for generations. Here’s a look back at this Christmas ritual!
Dive into the nostalgia of 80s toys! From Transformers to Strawberry Shortcake, explore the iconic playthings that made the 1980s a decade of fun.
Step back and time and enjoy these charmingly vintage Christmas scenes celebrations from the 1940s through the 1970s, showing holidays that were picture perfect.
There’s a reason that advertising has evolved over the decades – and these bad vintage Christmas ads from years ago show you exactly why!
These 80s Christmas cards featured beloved TV and comic strip characters like Garfield, Snoopy, and the Care Bears in their holiday best.
Christmas at Red Butte by L M Montgomery tells a touching 1909 holiday story of family, hope and a surprise reunion on the snowy prairie.
Gifts from the kitchen are easy to make, easy to share and don’t require anything fancy. Use what you have and turn treats into thoughtful gifts fast.
Crisp, freshly-baked spicy cookies, made from these classic gingersnap recipes, are sure to entice the whole family.
This pork roast with cranberry glaze recipe is easy to make, packed with flavor and pairs well with classic holiday sides. Great for guests or weeknights.
These edible cranberry candles were a real holiday salad in the 1960s. Molded in cans, topped with mayo and lit with candles, they were part food, part decor.
Philly cheese bells from the 1980s shaped a cheddar and cream cheese spread into festive molds. Easy to prep, easy to serve, and good with crackers.
How did our great-great grandparents send holiday greetings? Probably with antique Christmas cards just like these! Take a fond look back to the yuletide season from more than a century ago.
These Christmas gift ideas from 1964 show how mid-century shoppers turned everyday home goods into thoughtful holiday presents with style.
In the 1974 Rankin-Bass holiday spectacle, The Year Without a Santa Claus, the unforgettable Heat Miser & Snow Miser captured imaginations with their signature musical showdown. See it here!
See vintage Christmas decorations 1960s and 70s families used to light up the holidays — from homemade trees to bright outdoor candles and festive centerpieces.
Vintage Christmas TV specials were as much a part of the holiday as gifts and Christmas trees. Millions of people – especially kids – looked forward to them year after year. Look at more than 100 of these classics.
This exceptional Bacardi rum cake is a pudding cake baked in a ring pan, and flavored with Bacardi dark dry rum. You may be surprised at how easy it is to get an elegant cake – perfect for the holidays!
Here are six ways to make warm and wonderful traditional gingerbread — the kind of classic cookies and cakes your great-grandmother probably used to make!
Make a double batch of these chicken meatballs with cranberry glaze – serve what you need, and freeze the rest for a spur-of-the-moment party.
Here are 12 amazing classic apple pie recipes, collected from newspapers published across the US throughout the ’60s!
Reminisce about the world of 1960s toys — when kids had talking dolls, moon missions, and toys that taught them how to build, steer and imagine.
A shrimp Christmas tree appetizer is a scene-stealer and a real buffet beauty, certain to cast a special charm over any holiday party – yet so easy to do! Here’s how.
Whether you’re a nostalgia buff or looking for Christmas door decorations for your mid century home (or both!), we have some fun and festive ideas!
See the vintage wooden Christmas ornament kits families painted in 1974 — a simple, creative way to make holiday decorating more personal and fun.
Get seven sassy snack mix how-tos from yesteryear, including the granddaddy of them all: the original Chex mix recipe!
See how Christmas ribbon craft projects from 1963 brought color and cheer to holiday homes with DIY decorations, all made from simple materials.
Tissue paper, scissors, tape — see how creative gift wrap turns basic supplies into bold designs with these classic tissue pouf ideas.
Found: The perfect recipe for the classic caramel candy, that everyone can enjoy making — and eating.
Old St Nick started as a 4th-century bishop and became the Santa Claus we know. Here’s how the legend made it from Myra to Manhattan.
Make these vintage Christmas cane cookie buns from 1963 with a clever no-rise dough and festive fruit filling shaped like candy canes.
Here are 20 classic mincemeat recipes (used to make the holiday favorite, mincemeat pie) – as remembered through the decades.
Frosty, the famous snowguy turned into a jolly, happy soul, starred in the vintage animated Christmas special, Frosty the Snowman, narrated by Jimmy Durante.
Try this tasty and easy recipe from the early 1960s for old-fashioned rolled sugar cookie cutouts, accompanied below by step-by-step photos!
Here are some crafty fabric Christmas ornaments you can make yourself. There are five different designs using an inexpensive patchwork design.
Paintbrush cookies from Betty Crocker’s 1956 promotional booklet let you paint edible designs before baking. A fun, colorful twist on traditional cut-outs.
Pecan pumpkin pie adds the rich flavor of pecans in a crunchy top layer. Corn syrup is combined with canned pumpkin and eggs for a fast, smooth custard filling.
To many Americans living south of the Mason-Dixon line, sweet potatoes must be made with marshmallows! Here are 6 ways to make old-fashioned marshmallow sweet potatoes for a Thanksgiving side dish!
More than good, Libby’s pumpkin pie is smooth, gently spicy, and perfect! Get the classic pie you love – the original vintage recipe is right here, with our very own step-by-step photos to guide you.
Pumpkin dream pie is a 1950s no-bake dessert made with pudding, whipped topping, and pumpkin — simple, sweet, and ready in no time.
These pinecone cheese ball recipes are the ultimate decorative old-school appetizer spread! Find out how to make them here.
Try these holiday punch recipes from the 1950s and 1960s for your next party — simple, festive drinks that brought the cheer to vintage celebrations.
These delicious classic pumpkin cookie bars are sort of like a denser pumpkin bread, and pair perfectly with a tasty orange-y cream cheese frosting. Get the retro recipe from the 80s here!
If you want to try something new that’s actually old for Thanksgiving, try making this homemade pie crust recipe from 1950!
A lot of 80s candy endures to the present, but you’re still going to love these retro ads & packages from back in the day! Which were your favorites?
What is a pumpkin roll? It’s a lightly-spiced pumpkin cake, jelly roll-style — filled with sweet, fluffy cream cheese. Try this retro version from the 70s!
Popcorn balls were a holiday and party favorite for decades. See how these sticky-sweet treats became a go-to homemade snack in vintage America.
This is the Hershey’s cocoa fudge recipe your grandmother used to make! The recipe first appeared on the Hershey’s Cocoa can label in the 1960s.
Let Christmas stocking stuffers of yesteryear inform your Christmas list THIS year! We’ve rounded up over 30 vintage Christmas stocking stuffers we loved in days gone by.
We found a treasure trove of letters to Santa dating back to the 1930s (and they are adorable!). Come see what kids were asking for back in the day.
With a little thought and care – plus the inspiration of these lush holiday table settings of yore – you can create unforgettably nostalgic Christmas table settings that will be remembered for years to come.
This collection of vintage Pier 1 Christmas ads shows the great variety of gifts, home decor, and Christmas decorations they had available through the second half of the 20th century.
People of all ages will love these cute vintage Christmas cookie houses, which can be made easily and inexpensively. See examples and get directions here!
Long before we became obsessed with charcuterie boards, we had Hickory Farms Food Gift Paks. Remember those? Here, we have a round up of vintage Hickory Farms ads for your reminiscing pleasure!
How did a character whose brief life ended so tragically become a hero of the happiest holiday? We have some theories plus four different vintage gingerbread man cookie recipes!
You might remember some of these popular fudge recipes from your childhood. We encourage you to try at least one this year (or try them all)!
Screen legends Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire sang and danced their way into America’s hearts in one of the most timeless holiday classics of all time, the Holiday Inn movie, which introduced the classic hit song, White Christmas.
To get in the proper holiday spirit, Americana-style, let’s revisit some of the most iconic moments from the timeless TV classic, “A Christmas Story” – plus find out where to watch the sequel!
Cranberries have become traditional for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners — and these 20 homemade cranberry sauce recipes will help you deliciously add the ruby-red jewel to your feasts!
On these pictures of Christmas trees in the 70s, cuddly creatures, lace, ribbons, flowers, Santas and toys, were all radiantly spotlighted with the gleam of shining ornaments. Take a look back here, and get a little retro inspo for your holidays!
These old ‘insert dime’ money gift cards filled with coins were very popular – and a super fun way for friends and family to give a kid a dollar!
These 44 kid-friendly Christmas cookie decorating ideas evoke the cozy charm of vintage traditions. Baking fun for the entire family!
Take a look back at some sweet vintage Christmas dresses for little girls from the 60s and 70s captured in vintage ads and photos.
Adapted from an article that ran in Better Homes & Gardens print magazine back in December 1970, this cute craft how-to for “colossal Christmas balls”
Here’s how to craft creative salt dough ornaments for Christmas! It’s easy to stir up a batch, and makes getting into the holiday spirit extra fun.
These retro Christmas ornament craft ideas may be more than 50 years old, but that doesn’t mean they’re any less festive than you’d expect to see today! Take a look at how easy they are to do.
All of these sweet potato pie recipes come from the early part of the 20th century — from 1915 until 1922 — and should give you some ideas for ways to spice up a sweet potato pie of your own!
Baker’s easy one-bowl German chocolate brownies with coconut-nut topping: A classic recipe from 1997
These easy German chocolate brownies are deliciously indulgent, and have a coconut-nut topping! Get the ’90s retro recipe right here.
Take a look back at dozens of vintage gift sets for men from the ’60s, with popular aftershave, cologne, shaving sets and other grooming products.
Dig this crazy caramel popcorn – it’s positively wild, all candy-coated and crunchy with almonds, pecans or peanuts, made with corn syrup.
Why do so many people love vintage Snoopy stickers? ‘You’d be astounded at the enthusiasm of Peanuts collectors,’ said cartoonist Charles Schulz.
The old Sears Wish Book catalog was perfectly named – it was where kids and adults alike would dream about all the things that Santa (or a special elf) might bring for Christmas. Find out its history here!
That characteristic mid-century modern flair — with an abundance of color, clean lines and geometric patterns — translated perfectly in these examples of 1950s Christmas wall decorations
Having a retro party for the holidays? Here are lots of crazy kitschy vintage Christmas appetizers you may want to serve… at your own risk.
Remember these classic 70s Christmas cookies? Here’s our collection of the best and most delicious old-fashioned treats of the decade!
Check out this fascinating collection of 1970s Christmas photos and magazine clips, showcasing the unique holiday spirit and trends of the era.
These rich and tender cherry thumbprint Christmas cookies have bright and colorful button centers, made by placing pretty halved red or green candied cherries into the middle of each one.
Get ready for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays with the help of these old-fashioned stuffing recipe, made with simple ingredients and fresh foods.
If you want to serve something different this year for Thanksgiving or Christmas, a retro cranberry souffle salad may be just the thing! Bring back some of the flair of the fifties with these unusual little side dishes.
With songs like the title tune and ‘Have a Holly Jolly Christmas,’ the holiday TV special ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’ was a delight for the ears and, thanks to the stop-motion photography, for the eyes.
Let’s consider for a moment the soap on a rope phenomenon — a peculiar fusion of the useful and the whimsical that once occupied a
The Juice is Loose! SNICKERS really satisfies. Melts in your mouth, not in your hand. First it’s a candy, then it’s a gum. These iconic
Try this beautiful melted bead suncatcher DIY! These decorative plastic crafts can even be embedded with foil, glass nuggets, marbles, shells, and more for countless interesting designs.
This recipe for tasty Greek Christmas cookies uses half almond flour and half all-purpose flour for the dough – which is spiced with cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon, then topped with a candied cherry.
This amazing peppermint fudge recipe from the 80s combines the flavor of peppermint with creamy white chocolate for a treat that practically tastes like Christmas.
Here’s a collection of gingerbread houses to inspire you this holiday: a fairy-tale cottage, half-timbered country house, marvelous Victorian mansion, and many more – along with details on how to make your own classic gingerbread house.
Want to have a holiday get-together with a little retro charm? Check out these creative and colorful 1960s Christmas party decor ideas!
Rocky Road fudge — with its tried-and-true combination of chocolate, marshmallows and nuts — reaches new heights when made in fudge form.
A Rice Krispies gingerbread house – or Christmas cottage – made from crispy rice cereal is easier and faster to put together than most conventional gingerbread houses! Here’s how to do it.
If you’re a fan of yummy treats you can whip up in a flash, you’ll love this collection of delicious cookie bars made famous in the last century.
This shaped butterscotch yule log is like a roll of butterscotch fudge that you cut into slices – and is super easy to create. Here’s how to make one for Christmas!
We’ve collected some of the most well-known, classic versions of this vintage chocolate chip cookies. Which one will you bake today?
