A Collection of 25 Ugly and Wonderful Christmas Trees From the 1950s and 1960s

Each holiday season is heralded by treasured traditions and decor that taps into cherished memories. And perhaps no item is more synonymous with the season than the Christmas tree.

While decorating homes with evergreens during winter actually dates back to the Romans, Druids, and Vikings, the Germans are credited with displaying the first Christmas tree in the 16th century. In 1846, the tree went viral when Queen Victoria of England decorated a tree as a nod to her husband’s German heritage. When an illustration of the royal family standing around the tree was published in newspapers, having a Christmas tree became the hottest new interior design trend. And soon, the practice was firmly planted in the American holiday tradition.

Optimism and color reigned in the post-war decade when many of the 16 million American men and women who served in the war returned home. Young newlywed couples drove suburbanization and a huge baby boom. Midcentury modern style and the bright colors (think pink, yellow, and turquoise) of on-trend interiors made their way to the Christmas tree, as well. Shiny Brite ornaments, first mass-produced in the 1940s and known for their colorful designs and shapes, hit peak popularity.

Soon, technology brought about a tree that sparkled, sans flocking, didn’t shed its needles, and didn’t even require watering. Introduced in 1959, the Evergleam aluminum Christmas tree was an instant hit and the pioneering company behind the sparkling trees manufactured more than one million in the decade that followed.

The 1960s were a time of modernism and the Space Race, but also a time of social upheaval, individualism, and self-expression. Home decor was mass-produced cheaply with the idea that items would be thrown away once there were no longer en vogue. Christmas decor was no exception.

While some families clung to freshly-cut Christmas trees, some embraced a modern look with aluminum trees, while others had a soft spot for the Charlie Brown tree. “Everyone has his own idea of how a Christmas tree should be decorated...” Better Homes & Gardens encouraged readers. “Some trees are hung with home-fashioned ornaments, strings of popcorn, cranberries, and lopsided paper trims cut with fumbling childish fingers. Others are glowingly color-schemed and laden with exquisite glass balls.”