MID-CENTURY MADE

RUDOLPH, FAIRY LIGHTS, CHRISTMAS TELLY AND TINSEL IN YOUR HAIR – WE'VE THE MID-CENTURY PERIOD TO THANK FOR MANY OF TODAY'S TRADITIONS

Think Christmas traditions and you'll likely think of the Victorians. However, while they brought in trees and crackers, the mid-20th-century period also had a significant influence on how our festive season looks today. The years after WWII were a cause for celebration, especially when rationing ended in Britain in 1954. Designers experimented with making traditional motifs, such as the Nativity (above), more modern as they looked to the future. In the US, this spirit was helped by a booming economy. Woolworths in the States began manufacturing baubles to the mass-market, which had previously been made in Germany. Tree lights were another reinvention, as electric lights became cheaper and better: some 300 million sets were sold in the US alone by 1953. Other traditions were entirely new: Christmas film classics including 1946's It's A…

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The Simple Things (Digital) - 1 Issue, December 2023

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