What do you get when you put together ornate cornucopias, well-dressed family photos and jello everything?
It’s the Fabulous Fifties!
The 1950’s were revolutionary. Millions of families flocked to the suburbs and were gushing over their new home appliances, like the pop-up toaster, the non-stick pan, and colorful kitchen aid products. Little Johnnie and Susie were playing with the brand new Mr. Potato Head, and before the decade would end the Barbie doll would make its debut on the market.
The United States was changing significantly - World War II was over and many American families were reaping the benefits of the postwar economy. The Civil Rights movement was materializing, beginning with the landmark Brown v. Board of Education case, desegregating public schools in 1954. The Korean war was just beginning, and President Eisenhower was taking office.
Naturally, due to all the momentous things happening, the holiday season in the 50’s was filled with celebration and anticipation of the marvelous things the decade would bring. This background information can help us wrap our heads around some of the quirky, exciting, and downright bizarre Thanksgiving traditions that were popular in the 1950’s.
Dress to Impress
At a 1950’s Thanksgiving feast, you’d better wear your Sunday best! Many families dressed to the nines for the big day, including those who were designated to the “kiddie table.”
Reliving the Past
During the month of November, it was common for schools and student organizations to present reenactments of the first Thanksgiving to audiences of doting parents and proud teachers. The students would dress up as pilgrims and Native Americans, acting out important events in the Thanksgiving story. Many schools today are still putting on these Thanksgiving programs around this time of year!
Jello Everything?
The 1950’s were a time of change and progress - however, I don’t think that gives people a pass to do something as strange and flat out heinous as making a “shrimp aspic mold” for Thanksgiving supper. Yes, the people of the 1950’s were nuts about jello. Jello was not new by any means. The first powdered gelatin was patented in 1845, more than 100 years before this fabulous decade. Yet, something in the air around Thanksgiving time in the 50’s compelled enough people to make interesting jello concoctions in numbers. Chicken mousse, cranberry souffle salad, and anyone? No thanks, I’ll pass.
Mind Your Manners
Kids at the Thanksgiving table during the 1950’s were expected to be on their best behavior. No elbows on the table, no smacking your teeth, and absolutely no back talk. Watch this video from the era that instructs children on proper behavior at the dinner table.
The Big Parade
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has been a family favorite to watch since its inception in 1924. The parade was first broadcast via radio, before the television was ushered into every American family home. In the 50’s, families would sit around their televisions and watch the famous parade on the morning of Thanksgiving before all the cooking and preparing began. In the 50’s, the parade included some floats and balloons that were a spectacle of the times.
Cool Birds
The 1950’s introduced the frozen, already prepared turkey to American grocery store freezers. Before the mass production of these frigid birds, customers would have to go to their local butcher and select a turkey for purchase. The process of selecting the perfect bird, and ensuring that you got your turkey before the butcher sold out, made Thanksgiving a harrowing process for many. With frozen turkeys, this problems was solved, and turkey day became expressly easier. Here is a video from the 50’s that instructs homemakers how to handle and cook the newest craze:
Something’s Fishy
A proper 1950’s kitchen isn’t complete without some experimentation. Thanksgiving back then wasn’t just for turkey - many families incorporated seafood into their feasts. Shrimp co*cktail loaf and clam dip were typical dishes of the decade.
Cornucopias Galore
Today it’s easy to find a cornucopia near Thanksgiving at your local craft store. In the 1950’s, it was even easier. In fact, you could catch a cornucopia on a table or maybe even a skirt around the holidays. Ceramic cornucopias to hang on your wall were also popular during the decade.
The 1950’s were fabulous and innovative. It was a time of change and convenience, which is reflected in the unique Thanksgiving traditions of the time. While we’re all glad that some things were lost in time (shrimp jello, anyone?), some 50’s traditions are good enough to keep alive today. Will you be participating in any of these traditions this holiday season?
FAQs
A traditional 1950s Thanksgiving would have included a turkey fresh from the oven, but leftovers would have looked nothing like the sandwiches we enjoy today. Instead, leftover turkey was likely to be tossed into a gelatin mold and served cold for dinner in the upcoming weeks.
What did people eat for Thanksgiving in 1950? ›
A proper 1950's kitchen isn't complete without some experimentation. Thanksgiving back then wasn't just for turkey - many families incorporated seafood into their feasts. Shrimp co*cktail loaf and clam dip were typical dishes of the decade.
What happened to US troops on Thanksgiving of 1950? ›
On Thanksgiving Day 1950, American-led United Nations troops were on the march in North Korea. U.S. Marine and Air Force pilots distributed holiday meals. Hopes were high that everyone would be home by Christmas.
What day was Thanksgiving on in 1951? ›
Truman, President of the United States of America, according to our treasured tradition, and in conformity with the joint resolution of Congress approved on December 26, 1941, designating the fourth Thursday of November in each year as Thanksgiving Day, do hereby proclaim Thursday, November 22, 1951, as a day of ...
What were the original traditions of Thanksgiving? ›
New England and Virginia colonists originally celebrated days of fasting, as well as days of thanksgiving, thanking God for blessings such as harvests, ship landings, military victories, or the end of a drought. These were observed through church services, accompanied with feasts and other communal gatherings.
What was the most popular food in the 1950s? ›
There was no such thing as the keto diet in the 1950s—meat and potatoes reigned supreme. You'd find hearty main dishes like Salisbury steak, beef stroganoff and meat loaf on a '50s dinner menu, plus scrumptious sides. Casseroles were also popular, particularly those featuring seafood or ham.
What did people eat for breakfast in the 1950s? ›
Breakfast was viewed as the meal to set you up for the day so was, at the very least, porridge, followed by bacon, eggs and fried bread, then toast and home-made marmalade, and lots of milky tea.
Which food was not served at Thanksgiving? ›
It is also worth noting what was not present at the first Thanksgiving feast. There were no cloudlike heaps of mashed potatoes, since white potatoes had not yet crossed over from South America. There was no gravy either, since the colonists didn't yet have mills to produce flour.
What did the Chinese do on November 25, 1950? ›
November 25, 1950: The Chinese People's Volunteer Army crossed the Yalu river into North Korea and drove back UNC forces. November 27—28, 1950: UNC forces are surrounded at the Changjin (Chosin) Reservoir.
What was the great thanksgiving storm of 1950? ›
Heavy rains on the warm side of the system brought near record flooding to eastern Pennsylvania. By the time the storm wound down on November 29th and 30th, 160 people were dead and insurance companies paid more money out to their policy holders for damage than for any other previous storm or hurricane.
The Great Appalachian Storm of November 1950 was a large extratropical cyclone which moved through the Eastern United States, causing blizzard conditions along the western slopes of the Appalachian Mountains and significant winds and heavy rainfall east of the mountains.
How much did a gallon of milk cost in the 1950s? ›
1950: 83¢ per gallon.
How much did a TV dinner cost in 1950? ›
Initially, the dinners sold for the princely sum of 89 cents each, a bit of a splurge in 1954 (at that price, today each dinner would cost just over eight dollars). Despite that, TV dinners were a clear success – in the year after they came on the market, Swanson sold 25 million of them.
What is the most expensive Thanksgiving dinner ever? ›
Old Homestead Steakhouse in Manhattan says it's serving the most expensive Thanksgiving dinner in the world, and it costs $181,000. So what do you get for that price? The world's most luxurious food — plus goodies from new iPhones to a cruise to Super Bowl tickets, according to the restaurant.
What happened at the original Thanksgiving? ›
Massasoit sent some of his own men to hunt deer for the feast and for three days, the English and native men, women, and children ate together. The meal consisted of deer, corn, shellfish, and roasted meat, different from today's traditional Thanksgiving feast. They played ball games, sang, and danced.
What is the old tradition Thanksgiving? ›
People used to pull apart the wishbone of the turkey on Thanksgiving day. In many households in the 20th century, the breaking of the wishbone was a hallowed tradition. It also promoted patience and being together with family longer because only a dry wishbone would break!
How did they celebrate the real Thanksgiving? ›
The group likely played marksmanship games and ran footraces in between dining on venison, geese, turkey and other fowl. The festivities lasted three days, since it took the Wampanoag a solid two to walk there. So yes, overnight holiday guests are deeply rooted in Thanksgiving tradition.
What was in a typical Thanksgiving menu in the 1960s? ›
Today I will be sharing the main course which had the following items on the menu: roast turkey, cornbread stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans almond, classic Waldorf salad, cranberry sauce, and rolls.
