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Did you know?
  • The original Rudolph did not have a red nose. In that day and age, red noses were seen as an indicator of chronic alcoholism and Montgomery Ward didn’t want him to look like a drunkard. To complete the original picture, he was almost named Reginald or Rollo.
  • The Christmas wreath was originally hung as a symbol of Jesus. The holly represents his crown of thorns and the red berries the blood he shed.
  • The three traditional colors of most Christmas decorations are red, green and gold. Red symbolizes the blood of Christ, green symbolized life and rebirth, and gold represents light, royalty and wealth.
  • Tinsel was invented in 1610 in Germany and was once made of real silver.
  • The oldest artificial Christmas trees date back to the late 1800s and were made of green raffia (think grass hula skirts) or dyed goose feathers. Next the Addis Brush Company used their machinery that wove toilet brushes to create pine-like branches for artificial Christmas trees that were less flammable and could hold heavier decorations.
  • ‘Jingle Bells’ – the popular Christmas song was composed by James Pierpont in Massachusetts, America. It was, however, written for thanksgiving and not Christmas.
  • Coca-Cola was the first company that used Santa Claus during the winter season for promotion.
  • Hallmark introduced their first Christmas cards in 1915.
  • The first recorded date of Christmas being celebrated on December 25th was in 336, during the time of the Roman Emperor Constantine. A few years later, Pope Julius I officially declared that the birth of Jesus would be celebrated on that day.
  • Santa Claus's sleigh is led by eight reindeer: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Dunder (variously spelled Donder and Donner), and Blixem (variously spelled Blixen and Blitzen), with Rudolph being a 20th-century inclusion.
  • Outdoor Christmas lights on homes evolved from decorating the traditional Christmas tree and house with candles during the Christmas season. Lighting the tree with small candles dates back to the 17th century and originated in Germany before spreading to Eastern Europe.
  • That big, jolly man in the red suit with a white beard didn’t always look that way. Prior to 1931, Santa was depicted as everything from a tall gaunt man to a spooky-looking elf. He has donned a bishop's robe and a Norse huntsman's animal skin. When Civil War cartoonist Thomas Nast drew Santa Claus for Harper's Weekly in 1862, Santa was a small elflike figure who supported the Union. Nast continued to draw Santa for 30 years, changing the color of his coat from tan to the red he’s known for today.
  • Christmas 2018 countdown has already begun. Will you be ready???
  • Why do we love Christmas? It's all about the traditions. In this chaotic world we can miss the "good old days." Christmas reminds us of that time.

mattford1

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mattford1 last won the day on December 16 2015

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About mattford1

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    Senior Member

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  • My favorite Christmas story
    Back in the 70's I was infatuated with commercial pole mount decorations. There was one strip mall near me that always had a huge display of (and I had no idea who made them back then) of Crystal Valley decorations. One of the items they had was a 15' full round spiral Santa. One day they decided to get rid of it (they had it sitting outside in the alley for a while), so I ended up taking it home. I
  • Location
    Los Angeles CA
  • Biography
    Emmy winning lighting designer for variety television shows. Huge fan or retro commercial Christmas decorations. I own several that I purchased from Crystal Valley Decorating Company including 3 spiral trees, 12' santa and a custom vintage pole mount snowman
  • Interests
    Christmas, Machining, Flight Simulation
  • Occupation
    Lighting Designer for Television
  • About my display
    We do a huge Halloween show so our display is not huge. We have several decorations from Crystal Valley Decorating Company in our yard

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  1. mattford1
    Very cool balloon up for auction on Ebay. I've never seen one before. Looks very similar to the 12' Santa I bought from them: https://www.ebay.com/itm/282832681466?ul_noapp=true
  2. mattford1
    Thanks guys for the excellent posts!
  3. mattford1
    Thanks Blow Mold Expert!
  4. Big J Illinois started following mattford1
  5. mattford1
    Hi There- Does anyone have a scanned copy of an old Crystal Valley catalog from the 70's? If so would appreciate it being posted :-)... Matt
  6. mattford1 started following Anyone have any old Valley Decorating Catalogs to post
  7. mattford1 started following The Blow Mold Expert
  8. mattford1

    IMG-1356.jpg

    mattford1 posted a gallery image in Christmas Displays

    IMG-1356.jpg
  9. mattford1
    Crystal Valley Snow Boy Pole Mount
  10. mattford1
    Crystal Valley Fantasy Spiral Trees
  11. mattford1
    Crystal Valley Decorations Full Round Santa
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