This Christmas, celebrate 1960s style with decoration inspiration, music and film recommendations, gift ideas and more – this is your comprehensive guide.
How to Decorate
A Christmas tree is typically the centrepiece of the living room during the holidays, and while that was also the case in the 1960s, Christmas trees tended to look quite different back then! Many households opted for aluminium trees, which, with their modernist look, were a nod to the ongoing Space Age.
The aluminium tree provides a sleek and shiny look, but because of fire safety concerns, it is dangerous to put traditional lights on it. Instead, families in the 1960s used a rotating colour wheel which projected coloured light up through the tree from the floor. Such retro decorations may be somewhat challenging to find. We suggest Etsy, an antiques shop, or your local yard sale to find these 1960s staples!
Decorate your tree with glass baubles, which were often hand-painted, and consider adding some bubble lights and tinsel for the ultimate 1960s look! For a more homemade, wholesome feel, use craft paper to create your own paper chains or a wreath to hang outside your door.
What to Listen To
Whether you’re decorating the tree or gathering around the table to enjoy a Christmas dinner, Christmas music always help to set the mood! Look to our suggestions to incorporate the vibes of the swinging sixties.
The Beatles’ Christmas Record Box
If you want a truly authentic 1960s Christmas experience, check out The Beatles’ Christmas Records. Originally created for members of the official Beatles Fan Club, these festive messages were sent out each December from 1963 to 1969. The records were an eclectic mix of holiday well-wishes, original compositions such as “Christmas Time Is Here Again”, traditional carols such as a jokey rendition of “Good King Wenceslas”, humorous skits, and personal messages from the band.
They were issued on flexi-discs, which were lightweight, colourful, cheap, and designed exclusively for fan club mailouts. Each disc arrived with festive artwork and a newsletter, making the package feel personal and collectable. When The Beatles disbanded in 1970, and the Christmas discs became prized collectors’ items. For decades, they circulated only as bootlegs, which were often very difficult to find and expensive to buy. Finally, in 2017, over 50 years after their first Christmas record, Apple Corps released the entire collection of recordings as them officially as The Beatles Christmas Record Box, a limited vinyl box set. As it was limited edition, you can now find second-hand versions on Amazon and Etsy.
We would recommend this album for Beatles superfans, as it is not really an album in a traditional sense, it’s more like an impromptu podcast. While listening, you truly feel as though you are in the room with The Beatles, just having a laugh. But even casual listeners will likely find themselves taken over by the sheer charm and wit of The Fab Four.
A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector (1963)
You simply must listen to this holiday staple by The Ronettes, who opened for The Beatles on their 1966 US tour and were the only girl group to ever tour with them. The album features The Ronettes, The Crystals, Darlene Love, and more stars singing a collection of classic Christmas songs set to record producer Phil Spector’s signature Wall of Sound production. Spector would go on to produce The Beatles’ album Let It Be (1970), their only album not produced by George Martin. In 2019, Rolling Stone crowned A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector as the greatest Christmas album ever made, so it’s essential listening for any Christmas party!
The Beach Boys’ Christmas Album (1964)
The Beach Boys and The Beatles were two of the most beloved and influential bands of the 1960s. They constantly took inspiration from each other’s artistry, with The Beatles’ Rubber Soul (1965) being an impetus for The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds (1966), which would go on to be a heavy influence on the production for Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967). While The Beach Boys’ Christmas Album may not be as sonically adventurous and revolutionary as Pet Sounds, it’s just as good a time! Harmony-rich originals like “Little Saint Nick” combine The Beach Boys’ breezy California sound with traditional Christmas imagery and a sleigh-bell accompaniment, making it perfect for listeners who want an escape from the cold winter weather!
What to Watch
Would any Christmas be complete without cosying up around the fireplace watching your favourite Christmas films and TV specials? Here are our recommendations for those who want to go more retro this year.
A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
This gentle, heartfelt animated special captures the true message of Christmas in a way that has resonated for generations. When Charlie Brown finds himself discouraged about the increasing commercialism around the holiday, he and his lovable Peanuts friends discover what matters most. With Vince Guaraldi’s unforgettable, nostalgic jazz soundtrack, A Charlie Brown Christmas will elicit smiles and bring back those childhood memories.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)
And who could forget the most famous reindeer of all?! Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer premiered as a television special in 1964, and tells the classic Christmas story through instantly recognisable stop-motion animation which features adorable, almost doll-like character models. Complete with catchy songs such as Gene Autry’s “Rudolph”, this television classic has been viewed by an estimated 1 billion people worldwide.
What to Gift
In the 1960s, popular toys such as Barbie dolls, Easy-Bake ovens, and G.I. Joe figures topped millions of Christmas wish lists. And of course, nothing defined 60s gifting quite like Beatlemania. In 1964 alone, Beatles-related merchandise generated more than $50 million in U.S. sales, appearing in everything you could imagine from lunchboxes to chewing gum to shampoo!
Why not gift that Beatlemaniac in your life one of The Beatles Story’s own recommendations, from gift vouchers, our new Fab4 VIP Experience or, if you’re in Liverpool, head on down to a Fab4 Store where you’ll find one of the largest collections of official Beatles merchandise and souvenirs in the world!
Gift Ideas for Beatles Fans
Are you still unsure what to buy for that Beatles fan in your life? Search no further, you’re in the right place. The Beatles Story Museum has pulled together some of their favourite recommendations to suit all budgets.
Gift ideas for Beatles fans