Saturday 17 December 2016

How Postwar Christmas Embraced Spaceships, Nukes, Cellophane

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It's strange to realize how pretty much anything that triggers syrupy Christmas nostalgia comes from the postwar era - the warm Bing Crosby songs, the blow-mold light-up Santas, the starburst ornaments, the competitive outdoor light displays, and the base of the tree piled with mountains of gifts wrapped in shiny, patterned paper and bows.

It's even stranger to realize that WWII military innovations and fear of the Soviet's nuclear might turned Santa Claus into a space traveler, drove rampant Christmas consumerism, and influenced both Space Age Modernist decor and holiday craft projects made from foil and cellophane.

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