Decades pass, technology and aesthetic trends change, but some things stay the same. No matter how much time goes by, the winter holiday spirit is here to stay. Sure, the decorations, dishes, and gifts might be a tad different, but the atmosphere of love and pure joy is irreplaceable.
To get you in the holiday mood, our team at Bored Panda is featuring some of the most interesting vintage and nostalgic Christmas decorations, as shared by merry internet users online. Scroll down to check out the photos that would impress even Santa Claus himself.
#1 Vintage Santa Mugs
Image source: Baros El Farizi
#2 Looks Like I Need To Adjust Some Light Strings
Image source: Linda Adelwerth
#3 Vintage Christmas Tree
Image source: Brenda Glacken
According to one recent survey, a whopping 62% of people admitted that they are ‘very’ or ‘somewhat’ stressed more than usual during the holidays.
There are lots of different sources of stress. Some are financial. Others are related to gift-giving, holiday parties, travel, crowded stores, and social obligations. Alternatively, you can also be stressed out because you feel isolated and alone.
#4 Christmas 🎄
Image source: Open_Ad388
#5 Vintage Christmas Decorations
Image source: Melissa Manville Cloutier
#6 My Front Porch This Year
Image source: Karen Utley-Cuza
‘Headspace’ explains that holiday stress can affect your well-being, causing anxiety, restlessness, irritability, anger, sadness, and depression.
Meanwhile, on the physical side of things, chronic stress can increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes, increase blood sugar levels, suppress the immune system, and constrict the blood vessels. You can also experience tense muscles, tightness in the chest, headaches, fatigue, insomnia, nausea, and dizziness.
#7 My Ceramic Christmas Tree Collection! ❤️💚🎄
Image source: TealPenguin22
#8 Safety Pin Christmas Tree 🎄
Image source: adm388
#9 Kitchen Magnet Made By My Great-Great Aunt
Image source: Natalie Swedin-Bartyzal
With this in mind, ‘Headspace’ suggests reframing how you perceive holiday stress. Try to find the silver lining.
“For instance, let’s say you’re stressing out about all the gifts you have to buy; one way to reframe this situation is to take a moment to think about each person on your list and how grateful you are to have them in your life. Focusing on the feelings of love, warmth, and gratitude you have for these people can help to soften the intensity of stress and motivate you to choose a thoughtful present. What you initially perceived as bad stress can actually be reframed as good stress.”
Similarly, if your flight gets delayed during the holidays, you could try to find what you’re grateful for. For example, you could spend that downtime reading a book, listening to a podcast, and doing whatever else you love doing.
#10 My Beautiful Mother, Wearing A Coat Her Mother Handmade, 1947
Image source: Natalie Swedin-Bartyzal
#11 My Tree That My Youngest Daughter And Her Husband And My 3 Grandkids Went Up To The Mountains Ti The Christmas Tree Farm And Cut Down Our Own Trees! So Much Fun And Its A Family Tradition That We’ve Been Doing
Image source: Linda Adelwerth
#12 I Remember My Grandma Having This And Then My Mom. Now I Have It
Image source: Linda Adelwerth
In the meantime, mindfulness is a very powerful tool in your arsenal. It can help you take the sting out of the stress you usually feel around the holidays.
“Mindfulness is the quality of being present, aware, and fully engaged with whatever we are doing at the moment. It can be particularly helpful in reducing stress and the power it has over us because when we’re being mindful, we are free from distractions or judgment and aware of our thoughts and feelings without getting caught up in them. Simply put, even if we’re experiencing a stressful situation, we are less affected by it,” ‘Headspace’ advises.
One way to practice mindfulness is to be fully present in the moment and immerse yourself in what all of your senses are feeling. This way, you can calm down even among the holiday chaos.
#13 Vintage Christmas Decorations
Image source: Amy Larson
#14 A Happy Ho, Ho, Ho To Everyone!!!!
Image source: Megan Amparo
#15 Just Want To Share 1 Of My Very Favorite Items. My Nana Passed This Down To Me. Love Her
Image source: Hog Wild Sweeps
It’s probably safe to say that practically all of us want to spend the holiday season full of joy, cheer, excitement, good food, in the company of our loved ones, and fully relaxed. But you and we all know that life isn’t that simple.
You likely have tons of responsibilities weighing on your mind, from shopping for gifts and putting up the decorations to work, chores, Christmas travel logistics, and more. So, what’s meant to be a period of happiness or quiet contemplation can become one of the most stressful times of the year. And that’s awful for your physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
#16 My Mother Bought These Two Stockings From A Thrift Store Over Forty Years Ago
Image source: Reneé Menchaca
#17 Wondering How Old This Little Guy Is. I Recently Found It In My Grandma’s Christmas Stuff
Image source: Angie Bursley-Smith
#18 Noel !
Image source: Raymond Shaffer
It’s completely understandable if you have the impulse to rush about and create the best, most magical Christmas ever for your loved ones. But, at the end of the day, you always have the choice to slow down and decide to do things differently this year.
Take a breather. Reprioritize. Focus on what’s truly important. And trust that your family and friends prefer to see you recharged and well-rested rather than panicked and exhausted.
#19 Our Feathered Tree
Image source: R Michael Palan
#20 Vintage Christmas Tree Topper
Image source: Heather Mlinscek
#21 A Very Vintage Christmas
Image source: Darlene Robinett Carrigan
Your mental health is worth far more than the hundred and one things you think you have to do. Spending time with your loved ones is what makes the holidays truly special. Everything else, from the gifts and the food to the decor and activities, is the cherry on top.
Of course, that’s easier said than done. There’s a ton of social pressure to ‘perform’ around the holidays. And human beings are hard-wired to want to be loved, respected, and adored by others. So, you sometimes lose track of the fact that what you think is important (errands, bells, whistles, etc.) might just be fluff compared to actually spending quality time with your loved ones.
#22 Welcome To The Entry Of My 100 Year Old Home! Not True Vintage….but Reproductions To Look Vintage. Mostly Shiny + Bright. I Love The Originals….just Can’t Seem To Get Enough To Do This Look!
Image source: Amber Welch
#23 Is This A Christopher Radko Ornament?
Image source: SoThisIsFuccd
#24 Christmas 🎄
Image source: Open_Ad388
If you had to choose between being with your family and friends when they’re relaxed and spending less time with them because they’re stressed out of their minds due to a ton of last-minute responsibilities, the choice seems obvious.
It’s important to be proud of your home and dinner table, but this shouldn’t come at the cost of your well-being. You don’t have to organize a ‘perfect’ Christmas just to impress your distant relatives, coworkers, social network followers, and strangers. Sometimes, ‘good enough’ is far better than ‘perfect.’
#25 A Neighbor Was Putting His Mother’s Unwanted Christmas Decor On The Curb And I Couldn’t Resist!
Image source: princessfluffytoes
#26 1970s Estate Sale Ornaments That Were Overlooked. $2.50 🙂
Image source: Consistent_Safe430
#27 The Reindeer That They Make
Image source: Linda Adelwerth
Today, we’re featuring photos from two holiday cheer-infused online communities. The first is the ‘Vintage Christmas’ subreddit, which urges internet users to share memories and media from “Christmas of decades past.”
They put a particular emphasis on sharing images taken during the time period between the 1930s and the 1970s. At the time of writing, their group gets 3.8k weekly visitors and more than 560 weekly contributions.
The second online community that we’re featuring in this list is ‘A Very Vintage Christmas,’ a public Facebook group that has been around for around 7 years.
Currently, the group boasts 60.1k members on the social network who love sharing stories and photos of how they used to celebrate Christmas in the past.
#28 Finally Got Our Christmas Tree Up. Wasn’t Easy Having My Momma Pass A Year Ago But Here It Is. I Think She Would’ve Loved It
Image source: Nancy Rodriquez
#29 Have Had These Ever Since I Was A Kid In Our Tree. I Am 60 Now And Feel Privileged To Have A Couple Of Them Still!
Image source: Linda Adelwerth
#30 Vintage Christmas Decorations
Image source: Laura Robbins
Once you’ve checked out all of the photos and upvoted your favorite ones, we’d like to hear your perspectives in the comments, dear Pandas.
How are you celebrating the holidays this year? What vintage Christmas decorations have practically become family heirlooms in your home? What gifts do you hope Santa will bring you this year? Let us know!
#31 Vintage Christmas Trees
Image source: Laura Robbins
#32 It’s A Dreary Monday Morning, But This View Is Making It Better
Image source: Courtney Harms
#33 My Mum Is 81 And Remembers These Nativity Panels Being Displayed On The Farm When She Was A Little Girl. They Are In 4 Panels That Make Up The Picture
Image source: Shannon Huffman Zimmerman
#34 My First “Vintage” Purchase. This Santa And Mrs Claus Were A Set Just Like My Grandma Had When I Was A Kid And When I Saw Them For Sale On Facebook I Just Had To Have Them. I Believe They Are From 1991
Image source: Amie Cline
#35 Just Got My Very First Rushton Santa. Love Him
Image source: Jenifer Ayala
#36 Pink Christmas Tree
Image source: Lisa Meier
#37 Snagged These For $4
Image source: Karen Utley-Cuza
#38 Vintage Christmas Tree Ornaments
Image source: Cindy Cicardo Priestley
#39 Merry Christmas. Love Vintage Christmas Ornaments From My Childhood
Image source: Catina Finley
#40 Ribbon Candy Was Always A Christmas Treat At My Grandmother’s Home, Growing Up. I Had To Grab This To Share The Tradition With My Own Children
Image source: Tonya Velazquez
#41 $1.50 Thrift Store Find Yesterday. Fitz And Floys 2009 Salt And Pepper Shakers
Image source: Charlene Phillips
#42 Trying To Crank Out As Many Christmas Cuties As I Can
Image source: Sherry Ibanez
#43 Cute Vintage Christmas Ornaments
Image source: Cheryl DeGeorge Busto
#44 Vintage Christmas Treetop Angel Light
Image source: Rhiannon Leora
#45 My Santa Mug Collection
Image source: Julie Anderson
#46 Vintage Christmas Light
Image source: Rhiannon Leora
#47 Our Tree With Bubblers,spinners,tinsel And Ornaments From Across The Years. Under It Is My 60 Year-Old Marx Train Set From My Childhood
Image source: Deborah George
#48 I Received This Beautiful Ornament That Was Made In West Germany
Image source: Judy Charnota
#49 I Grew Up With These Two! I Love My Popcorn Art Pieces!
Image source: Paul B Kovac
#50 Check Out My 70s Christmas Tree!
Image source: Easy_Mortgage4688
#51 My Blow Mold Collection
Image source: No-Memory-2781
#52 Wrapping Paper Found In The Family House
Image source: SpicyGlassHunter
#53 My 1960’s Relpo Rotating Musical Santa. It Plays Jingle Bells. 🎅🏻🎶
Image source: ILoveSnailMail
#54 How To Clean Shiny Brite?
Image source: Alarmed_Web_6817
#55 Trying For A Vintage Christmas
Image source: IMAFILTHYRAT
#56 My Grandmother’s Hand Made Ceramic Tree… Dated 1970
Image source: MYOB3
#57 Ceramic Tree
Image source: Successful-Long-5774
#58 Vintage Nativity
Image source: Open_Ad388
#59 Vintage Christmas
Image source: Open_Ad388
#60 My Beautiful Little Angels
Image source: Green_Mare6
#61 My Vintage Ornaments Tree – Mostly
Image source: librarylovermcpl
#62 Inspired By Others Here I Made A Wreath
Image source: Salty_Ad_3350
