I was born in 1983.
A few weeks ago, my mom brought over a box of old Christmas items and my entire childhood felt unlocked. She kept my Lazarus Bears (“Lazzie Bears”), old VHS tapes, ornaments, a ceramic Christmas Tree and our Christmas Village.
I felt so overwhelmed with emotion. I decided not to set the items back in the box, because it doesn’t fit a 2024 aesthetic. Instead, I proudly displayed everything this year. In fact, I even bought a new train set to go under our tree for the Christmas Village.
In years past, it would have stressed me out to have such precious items on display with my feral children. But the truth is, my kids are getting older. Our oldest will be 12 soon and some of the Christmas magic could start to fade away…
There is no better time than now to recreate your childhood Christmas.
Here are some things I have around the house this holiday season:
- THE LAZARUS BEAR: Lazarus was a beloved department store in Columbus, known for its festive atmosphere, especially during Christmas. The store featured impressive window displays, a train setup, collectible Lazzie Bears, a Talking Tree, and visits from Santa. It created cherished memories for many shoppers. If you’re not familiar with Lazarus, there surely was a similar department store in your hometown that is no longer in business. Malls during the holidays, in general, are so nostalgic.
- VINTAGE CERAMIC CHRISTMAS TREE: Many parents and grandparents had these iconic (and kind of tacky) light-up trees in their homes. The Ceramic Christmas Tree started appearing in homes during the 1940s and were often handmade with tiny electric bulbs. In the ’50s and ’60s, workshops began allowing people to create their own. While they fell out of style in the ’90s, they are making a strong comeback and I am here for it! We have ours sitting on my kitchen counter.
- CHRISTMAS VILLAGE: Did you know this tradition actually dates back to the Renaissance? In 1984, Dept. 56 introduced its “Heritage Village Collection,” which now includes several different series. Many of you had Christmas villages set up under your tree with a train track going around it. Many of the pieces from my village are missing, but I loved setting this back up with a new train set for the kids to enjoy this holiday season.
- CHRISTMAS ALBUMS AND VHS TAPES: I wish my parents held onto my old vinyl records. I only owned three of them: Mickey’s Christmas, The Chipmunks Christmas and Fraggle Rock – lol. I have such fond memories dancing around the house listening to the Chipmunks sing “Christmas, Christmas time is here…”
- ORANGES AND TWINE: Every Christmas I like to decorate fresh garland with baked orange slices tied with twine. It looks so festive and has a rich history. Dried fruit was a very traditional way to decorate for the holidays up until about the mid-1800’s when glass ornaments became popular. Think Little Women. Then, during the Great Depression, oranges because a very sought after fruit that was only to be enjoyed at parties. Not only are they a simple beautiful way to decorate, but they are also very aromatic. Slice the oranges, dry them out and then set on baking sheets with parchment paper. Bake at 250 degrees for about 2 hours.
- CHRISTMAS COOKIES: Baking cookies with family is a very popular tradition. We all have our family favorite recipes too. Mine dates back several generations and is a well hidden family secret. There are even people in my mom’s family who were never given the recipe from my grandmother. Maybe one day we will share…
- CHRISTMAS LIGHTS: Have you guys noticed that the big Christmas light bulbs are back? These were the only kind of lights to display when I was a kid. My mom said the same thing about her childhood. I love that they are making a strong comeback in 2024!
What is something super nostalgic about your childhood Christmas that you’d love to recreate? I think the days of beige, aesthetically pleasing Christmases are over…bring back the tacky, bright colored Christmas trees with handmade ornaments galore!
