6 Holiday Traditions Fading Into Obscurity [View All]

[Liberal_in_LA]

I love the look of the old timey hot high wattage bulbs


6 Holiday Traditions Fading Into Obscurity

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When the percentage of shoppers buying ornaments, garlands and other bits of seasonal decor fell from 71.2% in 2007 to just 64.4% in 2009, it seemed to shock retailers and retail observers that shoppers would actually hang on to decorations and use them more than once. :)

Sometimes, however, the bloom just falls from the poinsettia as the culture shifts its gaze to newer, prettier things. ABC(DIS_) found this out the hard way last year when the halting and didactic dialogue, mid-20th Century animation and overlong run time of A Charlie Brown Christmas not only came in behind an episode of Glee and lost more than 800,000 viewers in its second half-hour, but dropped more than 30% of its audience from the year before.

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1. Office holiday party
2. tinsel

Tinsel
Tinsel dates back to 17th century Germany, when little strands of silver were used to make trees sparkle from the light of flickering candles attached to it. Covering a tree with silver wasn't the cheapest decorating solution in the world, so tinsel was usually reserved for folks with enough coin to throw away precious metals every year.

That all changed as cheaper materials were introduced in the early 20th century. The good news was that boxes of tinsel became ubiquitous and could turn any tree into a sparkling crystal centerpiece. The bad news? Some of that tinsel was aluminum mixed with lead that helped it hang better on tree branches, but also exposed generations of children to lead poisoning and brain defects. :-(

3. Aluminum trees
4. high wattage lights
5. Spray cans of fake snow
6. "it's a wonderful life" - copy right issues means it airs less

http://www.thestreet.com/story/11321615/7/6-holiday-traditions-fading-into-obscurity.html