Most Popular Gifts in 1913

[cyberswede]

1913:

1. Candy
2. Nuts
3. Rocking horse
4. Doll
5. Mittens/gloves
6. Toy train
7. Oranges
8. Books
9. Handkerchiefs
10. Skates

http://abcnews.go.com/Lifestyle/popular-gifts-1913-2013/story?id=21148651

We got peanuts and oranges in our Christmas stockings (in the 70s) - I bet that's a hold-over from my own parents' childhoods during the Depression. I should show this to my kids.

[Scuba]

1. In the 1950's I got new Levi's, galoshes and a stocking hat or mittens most years.

One year I got a bike. Wow!

[cyberswede]

8. We always got items we needed - not exclusively "gifty" things.

We always got clothes, mittens, underwear, etc. We'd get a some sort of toys, too, but not too expensive. We'd always get books, which I consider a necessity AND gifty.

[HereSince1628]

14. Fruit of the Loom seems to have been my designated elf.

Socks and underwear were my typical gifts. I didn't know a difference so it never mattered.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. We always got oranges in our stockings, too ('50s, and continuing for many years).

I suppose that was a Depression thing, but I always liked getting the oranges. There would also be candy canes and foil-wrapped chocolates, and a little toy of some kind.

The "big" gift would be a sled, or ice skates. There were always clothes, scarves and gloves.

[jmowreader]

5. It's a tradition from before refrigerated trucks

Oranges have to be moved in a refrigerated truck during the warm season, and they were super expensive, so most people could only justify giving citrus as Christmas gifts.

Truly frightening: Cartons of cigarettes used to be a very popular Christmas gift.



People used to do this shit.

[cyberswede]

7. Ew! Reagan!

I liked his acting in a few movies. Too bad he turned out to be such an abominable president.

[Joe Shlabotnik]

16. A pack of smokes,

was the only thing I could give my grandfather when I was kid. He was gruff and stoic, and didn't want anything.

[Brigid]

3. My sister and I got Barbie stuff and clothes.

Our brother got clothes, GI Joe stuff, Hot Wheels, and Matchbox cars.

[cyberswede]

9. My mother made a lot of barbie clothes - they were awesome!

Then my older sisters got in on that, so I have tons of homemade stuff for Barbie, Skipper, and Ken.

My dad made wooden Barbie furniture, too (bunk beds, dining room set, vanity, dressers). I have the coolest Barbie stuff ever, and now I share it with my daughter.

[Brigid]

12. Actually, the clothes were mostly for us.

Last edited Thu Dec 12, 2013, 05:00 PM - Edit history (1)

Though I did get a really great Barbie wedding dress one year.But yes, you have the coolest collection of Barbie stuff I've ever heard of.

[HeiressofBickworth]

4. My last Xmas at home

my parents gave me a set of luggage. The next spring I married and moved to Germany. They didn't know my plans so I've always wondered about that luggage -- coincidence? Maybe, maybe not.

[cyberswede]

10. Hmm...had thy been prescient before?

Or maybe they were subtly hinting that you should leave the nest and go out and seek your fortune!

[HeiressofBickworth]

13. They had NEVER before or after been prescient

A set of luggage is a not-so-subtle clue that it's time to leave. They had no interest in keeping me around. They refused to help me with college and they didn't pay for my wedding. The luggage was the last of their generosity.

[panader0]

6. My mom was born in 1908 near Spokane

and told me she loved getting an orange on Christmas. I guess oranges were rare in the Northwest back then.
My dad was from a small Nevada mining town and told me his favorite gift was a puppy his uncle pulled out of a coat pocket.

[cyberswede]

11. Wow!

I bet getting a puppy is always in a person's top ten memories, but the story about his uncle makes it even better!

[orleans]

15. i remember i gave my parents a lump of coal in their stockings

when i was a teenager. i thought it was funny
because, as rumor had it, their parents threatened santa would leave lumps of coal in stockings if kids were bad.

my parents got a kick out of it when i did it. it was quite the "novel" idea.

turns out, my mom saved it--all these years. i found it in the box in her dresser after she died. i think i cried when i found it.

[cyberswede]

17. That's a great story

You were a clever kid! I can see why she kept it (and why you cried when you found it).