Some festive rituals are still going strong
WITH the last few days before Christmas comes the frantic rush of gift shopping for those of us who have been too busy or too forgetful. It’s always been that way in Wellington.
The Alexander Turnbull Library’s collection of Evening Post photos has some great images of Christmas shopping in the 1950s.
Late-night shopping was usually held on Christmas Eve and often brought big crowds to the city centre. Department stores such as James Smith’s, DIC, Woolworths and Kirkcaldie & Stains were always heaving.
Just as today The Dominion Post covers eftpos takings, checks how much is being spent around town and talks to some shoppers, The Evening Post did the same back then.
On Christmas Eve, 1938, it wrote: ‘‘The rising tide of rejoicing reached its flood last evening when thousands of people thronged the streets . . .
‘‘Apparently many had left some of their Christmas shopping to the last minute but it was also evident that The Dominion Post – 150 Years of News is available via dompost.co.nz or 0800 50 50 90. Priced at $34.95 + $3 postage and handling or $29.95 + $3 p&h for subscribers. hundreds were in search of merriment.’’
The weather had been cold and threatening – nothing much changes there – but it hadn’t deterred anyone going looking for gifts.
It had been, the paper said, ‘‘the best shopping period experienced in Wellington for many years and tramway, bus and rail traffic was probably a record’’.
Christmas was also a popular time to get out of the city, so traffic updates were important. Places aboard the express trains up country, on the ferries and increasingly on planes were covered.
The Evening Post always held a party for the children of staff in the run-up to the big day and often printed a Christmas supplement as well.
We’ve added some of the jokes from the 1930 edition of the supplement. The names have dated, but the jokes haven’t changed much from the ones we get in Christmas crackers today.
The paper has never been published on December 25, which means most staff actually get Christmas Eve off rather than the 25th itself. It’s the same today. The news never stops, even for Santa.