Journey Through Christmases Past - Christmas Television Specials From 1948 - 1978

 

Welcome to our newest feature, Journey through Christmases Past. This series is a nostalgic celebration of the holidays we all remember...

• The history and traditions of the holiday.
• The décor that filled our homes.
• The toys that defined each decade.
• The television and movie shows that brightened the season.
• The outfits we adored (and the ones we definitely didn’t).

Along the way, I’ll sprinkle in a few of my own Christmas memories. So settle in with a cup of your favorite hot beverage and join me on a journey through Christmases past.

Another week has passed. We are now 82 days away from Christmas. My fall decorations aren't all up yet, but I am getting there. How about you? Need to make sure we give a little bit of room to celebrate all the seasons before Christmas decorating takes over. Wouldn't want to be accused of blending all the holidays together, now, would we? 

Journey through Christmases Past is tuning into one of the most wonderful seasonal memories of my childhood--the televised Christmas special. Even if my mother hadn't listened to records from these popular artists and entertainers, I would know who they are because we welcomed them into our living room during the holiday season. 

We can thank Perry Como for starting the tradition. In 1948, The Perry Como Chesterfield Supper Club — Christmas Special aired on Christmas Eve. Como would end his annual specials, which ran until 1994, by singing "Ave Maria," before signing off with, "From all of us to all of you, Merry Christmas and goodnight." 

Frank Sinatra would air the first Christmas episode of The Frank Sinatra Show in 1950. Two of these stand out for viewers: 1957's episode, "Happy Holidays with Bing and Frank," which also starred Bing Crosby, and Sinatra's final Christmas show, which aired on December 21, 1967. Titled The Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra Family Christmas Show, it featured Sinatra, Dean Martin, their families, and a cameo by Sammy Davis Jr. 

George Burns and Gracie Allen released a Christmas episode of The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show that aired on December 21, 1950, titled "Gracie's Christmas." This show had only four Christmas episodes. I remember Burns more for his work after this show. I loved to catch him on TV because he looked like my pépé. 

Sitcoms, dramas, and animated specials would soon follow with their own Christmas episodes, but that is a story for another day. 

Bob Hope, another blast that preceded my past, entertained military troops over Christmas for more than 45 years. The first annual Bob Hope Christmas Special aired on NBC in 1953. Barbara Eden speaks about touring with Hope in this Television Academy Foundation interview. In the video below, you can watch History's "Christmas through the Decades" feature on The Bob Hope Show Christmas Special.

On December 20, 1962, The Andy Williams Show featured a Christmas episode. While the variety show was cancelled in 1971, Williams continued to appear on television and had televised Christmas specials for years. Like many of the others on this list, Williams recorded Christmas songs and albums.

Other entertainers who released Christmas episodes and specials from 1948 - 1978 include:

• Jack Benny
• Jackie Gleason
• Judy Garland
• Danny Kaye
• The Osmonds
• Red Skeleton
• Ed Sullivan
• Cher

I am sure there are others. Who do you recall from your early television-watching days? Who were your favorites? 

Getting Ready for the Holidays - Desserts

 

Photo credit: Magnific (formerly Freepik)

October is here! That means it is time to get ready for the holidays. Ideas for this month are:

1. Order Christmas cards
2. Plan outside decorations
3. Plan your holiday meal

For more details on how to prepare for the holidays and make them less stressful, please visit "Three Things to Do in October to Prepare for Christmas." The article will also link to the previous months. 

I've already considered my Christmas cards. I will likely order them next week. Our oldest daughter has been planning our outside decorations for the last few years. Not sure if she wants to do it again this year, but I am more than happy to delegate that task. For meal planning, I am focusing on the desserts. Main dishes and sides rarely change, though I might try meat stuffing as a side this year.

Classpop! shared this list of dessert ideas earlier in the year. Food Network also posted its list of dessert ideas in the first quarter of the year. Now, I believe in being prepared, but March is even too early for me to think about these things. This is a 2025 list from The Pioneer Woman that shares holiday pie recipes. Back in 2024, Good Housekeeping shared its all-time best Christmas cookie recipes.  

Have you tried any new desserts lately that I might want to test in my own kitchen? What desserts are on your holiday table?

Journey Through Christmases Past - Christmas Snowstorms

 

Welcome to our newest feature, Journey through Christmases Past. This series is a nostalgic celebration of the holidays we all remember...

• The history and traditions of the holiday.
• The décor that filled our homes.
• The toys that defined each decade.
• The television and movie shows that brightened the season.
• The outfits we adored (and the ones we definitely didn’t).

Along the way, I’ll sprinkle in a few of my own Christmas memories. So settle in with a cup of your favorite hot beverage and join me on a journey through Christmases past.

Happy Sunday! There are only 89 days until Christmas. Isn't that great! I told my husband this weekend that I am likely bringing up one of the Christmas trees early so I can decorate it for fall. I had planned to do that last year. Hopefully, my schedule allows for it. 

This week, Journey through Christmases Past is looking at snowstorms that occurred on or around Christmas. With some areas of the country in the midst of the effects of this week's Nor'Easter, here is a reminder of how wicked Mother Nature can be.

1836

It seems 1836 brought with it a ton of the white stuff. In January, 30 - 40 inches of snow fell, blanketing parts of New York, northern Pennsylvania, and western New England. New York City had already experienced the Great Fire in mid-December, causing the loss of 17 blocks of the Financial District. 

On December 20, the Midwestern "Sudden Freeze" is said to have frozen chickens where they stood and men in their saddles. Within minutes, temperatures dropped from 40 degrees to near zero. A few inches of snow were already on the ground when the rain fell, making for a wet slush that quickly froze when the temperatures dropped.

In the United Kingdom, a Christmas Eve blizzard with fierce winds led to snowdrifts 10 - 40 feet high in places. With drifts towering on cliffs over the Sussex town of Lewes,  as the temperatures rose a few days later, an avalanche destroyed a row of cottages, leading to multiple fatalities. 

1872/1873

The winter of 1872/1873 was especially brutal in the northern United States and parts of Canada. Major snowstorms occurred from November through April. Yes, April. The weather was bitterly cold, as noted in this article discussing the weather's impact on a frontier survey team marking the northern boundary between the United States and Canada across Minnesota. On this list of "Biggest Snowstorms (One Foot or More) at Central Park (1869 - Present)", the December 26, 1872 blizzard dropped 18 inches of snow on New York City. 

1962

December 1962 can lay claim to being one of the coldest and harshest winters in British history. Snow arrived mid-December, before cold winds from Russia blew in. More than a foot of snow blanketed England and Wales the day after Christmas, with drifts over 20 feet, creating a travel nightmare. January 1963 is recorded as the coldest month in their history since January 1814, and it took until March for residents to wake to a morning without frost.

Want to learn more about wicked winter weather? Weatherbox features a video about "The WORST Winter Storms of Christmas Past." You can click here to watch it.

Seasonal Books I've Recently Reviewed

Here are some seasonal titles I recently reviewed on my main blog, The Book Connection. 

This is such a sweet story, and I loved it so much that I wish I could go back and read it all over again. Luckily, it will premiere on Great American Christmas this season as a movie starring Danica McKellar and Sam Page. Read it before the movie comes out! The Christmas Yes List is destined to be a Christmas romance classic.

Read my full review here!

If you are looking to indulge in a seasonal story that is familiar yet uniquely new, Cratchit is an excellent choice!

Read my full review here!

This is one of the most beautiful and touching Advent devotionals I've had the pleasure to read. A perfect gift for you or someone you love, A Christmas Carol Devotional is a wonderful way to reclaim your focus and intention this holiday season.

Read my full review here!

Hallmark's Countdown to Christmas Schedule

 Posted just four hours ago on Facebook!

The Big E Time!

The Big E started this weekend! It is a multi-state fair, celebrating all six New England states. Our youngest is home, so I am taking the day off from posting. However, in celebration of all things Christmas, if fairs and holiday markets are your thing, here is a list of some to consider this year:

New England Christmas Festival - https://nechristmasfestival.com

Enchant - www.enchantchristmas.com

Christkindlmarket - www.christkindlmarket.com

Hallmark Christmas Experience - www.experiencehallmarkchristmas.com

The Great Dickens Fair - https://dickensfair.com

Helsinki Christmas Market - https://tuomaanmarkkinat.fi/en

Poznan Christmas Market - www.europeanbestdestinations.com/christmas-markets/christmas-markets-in-poland

Bath Christmas Market - www.bathchristmasmarket.co.uk

Where is your favorite Christmas fair or market located? Why is your favorite thing to do there?

Journey through Christmases Past - Christmas 1813

 

Welcome to our newest feature, Journey through Christmases Past. This series is a nostalgic celebration of the holidays we all remember...

• The history and traditions of the holiday.
• The décor that filled our homes.
• The toys that defined each decade.
• The television and movie shows that brightened the season.
• The outfits we adored (and the ones we definitely didn’t).

Along the way, I’ll sprinkle in a few of my own Christmas memories. So settle in with a cup of your favorite hot beverage and join me on a journey through Christmases past.

There are a few hours left in this Sunday, so it looks like it is time for another Journey through Christmases Past post. Only 104 more days until Christmas! By this time next week, we will be down to double digits. How does that make you feel? Here, the mantle is still awaiting its fall decorations, but I am getting there a bit at a time. 

This week, we are traveling way back to the year 1813. The Napoleonic Wars have been raging for a decade. The Treaty of Ghent, ending the War of 1812, is still a year away from being signed. Late in October, the Treaty of Golestān will be signed to end the first Russo-Persian War. Early in December, French forces will besiege Hamburg, Germany. Fifteen days before Christmas, the residents of Newark (now Niagara-on-the-Lake) in Upper Canada watch as their houses burn to the ground. 

In contrast to the darker moments of 1813, the literary world produced memorable chapters in history:

• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is published in January.
• Samuel Taylor Coleridge's play Remorse: A Tragedy in Five Acts premieres in January.
• Robert Southey is named Poet Laureate, a title he holds until his death in 1843.
• The Philomathean Society is founded.

In music, the Philharmonic Society of London is founded. In December, Beethoven's Seventh Symphony premieres at the University of Vienna in Austria as a benefit for Austrian and Allied veterans of the Napoleonic Wars. 

The Christmas of 1813 was deeply shaped by troubling times across the globe. For some, it was a season of displacement and fear. Still decades from becoming a major national holiday, Christmas was modest and focused on family. Decorations were minimal and taken from the natural elements around them: evergreen branches and boughs, holly and mistletoe, fruits, and nuts. Tallow and beeswax candles glowed from their holders in the window. 

Some of these traditions have been carried forward into modern times. No longer flame-lit candles, we see LED candles flickering their artificial flames through windows, calling us home. Garlands of faux evergreen frame hearths and doorways or wrap around lampposts and railings, inviting nature and texture indoors. Families still make pomanders and paper chains. Homemade gifts continue to find their way under the tree. In these enduring traditions, the spirit of Christmas still finds us, offering the same quiet comfort it did centuries ago.