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Though everyone has a slightly different view of the fall and winter holidays, some things tend to remain the same. Halloween means costumes, candy and spooky decorations. Thanksgiving brings harvest decorations, getting us in the mood for dinner with friends and family around the table. As the season gets colder the lights come out with wreaths, Christmas trees, or a lovely menorah that lights up the room a bit more each night.
During the holiday season, everything is awash in beauty and more than a little nostalgia.
Remember when Christmas lights were big and bright light bulbs that actually got hot to the touch? Some of us remember when there were no such things as artificial trees – the scent of pine would permeate the house shortly after Thanksgiving. Sometimes, turning the tree just the right way to keep the bald spots facing the wall became a fine art.
Thanksgiving traditions varied from year to year, but always, friends and family were the true centerpieces of the celebration. And of course, how you celebrated Halloween depended upon how old you were that particular year, from trick-or-treating hand-in-hand with mom and dad to venturing out with teenage friends to scare yourself silly in a haunted house.
Today, when you stumble upon a decoration you remember from your childhood, the wave of nostalgia can take you right back to a simpler time. So why not incorporate some of those old decorations into your new holiday traditions? Let’s take a look at the nostalgic decorations you can find today to spark those good memories.
Halloween Decorations from Days of Old
There is some debate on where the origins of Halloween come from, but many historians agree that the holiday is linked to the Day of the Dead, or All Souls Day. According to History.com, tradition says that on midnight of October 31, the gates of heaven open and the souls of departed children can visit their families for celebration. On November 2, the souls of the adults do the same.1
In keeping with that tradition, Halloween decorations grew to reflect things that we usually associated with the dead – but in a more cartoonish way.
Pumpkins carved into leering jack-o-lanterns were among the first Halloween decorations in the United States, followed by hand-carved skulls and skeletons. As with anything that has darker origins, eventually the idea of witchcraft became intertwined with Halloween, and witches on brooms became a common decorating theme. Over time, black cats, full moons, and ghosts became popular decorations.
These decorations were often readily accessible to all, even to the poorest of families during the Great Depression. Many grew pumpkins in their gardens (or knew someone who did) and could create other decorations from paper. Since these decorations are so easy to create, they are also easy to discard, knowing that they can be recreated next year. That’s why there are so few Halloween decorations passed down from one generation to another.
As you make your own traditions for the Halloween season, keep a button alarm handy. From creating those spooky cookies that will make your grandkids smile to walking around the neighborhood on Halloween night to watch the kids trick-or-treating, having a medical alert device close at hand means you’re always protected. Alert1 can be your peace of mind that if accidents or emergencies happen, you can get help right away.
Thanksgiving in Years Past
Thanksgiving is a uniquely American holiday, with origins dating back to the 1600s, when Pilgrim settlers in the United States shared a meal with the Native Americans who helped them survive the harsh adjustment to life in a new land. Since then, the decorations for Thanksgiving have kept the harvest in mind.
One of the most common vintage decorations for Thanksgiving is the cornucopia. Also known as the horn of plenty, this decoration represents abundance. Kids all across the U.S. make crafts that symbolize the horn of plenty every year, and it has become a popular centerpiece. Some nicer versions are passed down through generations.
A harvest decoration is also a common theme. This can include anything such as bales of hay to sit on, corn or long corn stalks tied up into a neat bundle, pumpkins and gourds from the garden, and even the last of the sunflowers for the season.
As you’re creating the beautiful harvest scene that heralds fall and welcomes friends to your door, don’t forget to put your safety first. You want to enjoy the Thanksgiving season and move on to the winter holidays without worry!
That’s where a medical alert necklace or pendant comes in. If you suffer any sort of accident, simply press the emergency button alert for 24/7 assistance.
Old Tyme Christmas Decorations
Christmas ornaments and decorations have changed quite a bit over the decades. Some of the first traditions celebrated in America came from German immigrants, who knew how to make a variety of ornaments from the things that they had lying around the house.
Popular decorations back in the day included nuts and dried fruits on strings, as well as popcorn and cranberries. Paper streamers or paper chain links that surrounded the tree were popular and easy for kids to make. Aluminum foil, cut into tiny bits, was the precursor to what we now know as tinsel – and it caught the light, which was a delight in the years before tiny Christmas lights were created.
Ornaments often reflected what was on hand. For instance, it wasn’t unusual for those in coastal areas to decorate their trees with handmade garlands created of shells and sand dollars. Those who lived in forested areas might use pinecones, while those in the Midwest might use tiny, colorful gourds.
Sometimes creative souls would make ornaments out of hand-carved wood or with a crochet hook and yarn. These were the ones that wound up passed down to the next generation, so if you happen to have ornaments that belonged to your parents or even your grandparents, they might be made of fabric or wood.
Over time, hand-blown glass ornaments became popular as a show of wealth. After all, one wrong move and your expensive ornament would be in pieces on the floor! That’s why so many children were shooed away from the tree during decorating time and told to be very careful when near the ornaments.
These glass ornaments, also known as “baubles,” became the first manufactured Christmas ornaments, according to Christmas HQ. They were originally created for sale by Hans Greiner in the early 1800s.2 The most expensive were those that were not only hand-blown but also hand-painted. These showcased a variety of Christmas and winter scenes.
Christmas Lights
When electricity and light bulbs became common in the United States in the late 1800s, we began to light up everything – including our Christmas trees.
According to the Library of Congress, the first Christmas tree lights were created in 1882, and were red, white, and blue. Soon they were modified for use in homes rather than outside. The first Christmas lights were heavy and drew a good deal of power but could light up the whole room. They also got very warm to the touch, which made them dangerous on trees that didn’t get enough water. Besides that, they were expensive – they required an electrician to install.3
If you happen to have some of these amazing old lights in the attic, use them carefully (preferably on a heat-resistant artificial tree) and don’t let the grandkids touch them. Not only could they get burns, breaking one of these precious old lights means that you might not be able to find a replacement.
Candy Canes
Let’s pull back from the show of wealth to think about what almost every household had during Christmas – candy canes. These were shaped like shepherd’s hooks to represent the shepherds who visited baby Jesus, and eventually red stripes were added to represent the blood Jesus shed on the cross.
But the added bonus to that shape was that they could easily be used as ornaments on the Christmas tree. Many families would hang these candy canes. Even during the Great Depression, candy canes were common, made by hand in the family kitchen and hung on the tree not only as ornaments but as a delightful Christmas treat.
Stay Safe This Holiday Season
No matter what holiday you’re celebrating, senior alert systems are there to keep you safe and secure. From walking along the fallen leaves to bundling up for the Christmas parade downtown, there are many reasons to get out-and-about during the season. Wearing a mobile medical alert system with GPS and fall detection provides powerful peace of mind. You have help right there at your fingertips, in the form of an easy-to-use button.
No matter where you are, the on-the-go model of an Alert1 panic button can be your constant companion. Alert1 wishes you a safe and healthy holiday season!
