Thread: Christmas And Decorations During WWII

It was impossible to get a tree for Christmas because of the timber restrictions, and even those who were fortunate to find one paid extortionate prices. They were often disappointed because these trees were merely smaller cut offs of bigger trees. If you were lucky enough to have a Christmas tree then the authorities sternly reminded you that it was inadvisable to use candles on the trees as you never knew when a German bomb might cause an electrical blackout and these candles might be needed. As for Christmas decorations these were seen as luxury items and not available in the shops. Most people just relied on their old decorations that they had purchased before the war. These were enough to help spread a little bit of Christmas cheer. Christmas was a particularly difficult time for children, especially those that had been evacuated and were now living in strange homes far away from their parents. For those that were still with their parents, toys were scarce with all the toyshops displaying empty shelves. After all kapok was needed more for lifejackets than for teddy bears!

For some, indulgence was simply a quiet time at home with loved ones and the radio. For others, card games such as Rummy were the order of the day, or reading out loud to each other. All in all the British people made do and celebrated Christmas as best they could, praying that the hostilities in Europe and all over the world would soon be at an end.