Christmas Shopping in Singapore 50 Years Ago

Elizabeth Taylor was shopping in Singapore in November, 1957 during the opening of the Great World Amusement Park.  She bought a stuffed tiger which she later asked Mrs Run Run Shaw (right) to give to the underpriviledged children.  This archived photo and other selected ones are curated on this blog with the courtesy of the National Archives of Singapore with thanks and acknowledgement.

How different was our memories and experiences shopping for Christmas in Singapore about fifty years ago?

Please revive our fond nostalgic memories with photos and stories to Singapore Memory Portal  for everyone to share.  According to Marcel Proust, "Remembrance of things past is not necessarily the remembrance of things as they were..  let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom".

An excerpt  on "The Real Meaning Of Christmas" by Martha Noebel:

It's that time of year again. December has come and with it all the joys of Christmas. But what is the real meaning of Christmas? Is it the gifts under the tree, the lights in the windows, the cards in the mail, turkey dinners with family and friends, snow in the yard, stockings hanging in the living room, and shouts of "Merry Christmas" to those who pass us in the streets? Is this really Christmas?

For many people, Christmas is a time of sorrow. They don't have the extra money to buy presents for their children, family, and friends. Many are saddened at Christmastime when they think of their loved ones who will not be able to come home for various reasons. Turkey dinners may be only a wish and not a reality for some.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

The "true meaning of Christmas" is a phrase with a long history in American pop culture. It first appears in the mid-19th century, and is often given vaguely religious overtones, suggesting that the "true meaning of Christmas" is the celebration of the Nativity of Christ. But in pop culture usage, overt religious references are mostly avoided, and the "true meaning" is taken to be a sort of introspective and benevolent attitude as opposed to the commercialization of Christmas which has been lamented since at least the 1850s.

An early expression of this sentiment using the phrase of "the true meaning" is found in The American magazine, vol. 28 (1889):

"to give up one's very self — to think only of others — how to bring the greatest happiness to others — that is the true meaning of Christmas".

The above quotations and comments are mentioned briefly as relevant to avoid posting this blog topic out of context.  A picture is worth a thousand word ...

Santa Claus was at Robinson's in 1970 wishing everyone "Merry Christmas" with or without shopping there.

Christmas shopping in 1957

Christmas shopping 1960s

Christmas Shopping in 1970s

The long queue for taxi home after shopping in the 1970s ... MRT was not available yet.

Juxtapose these archived photos with the Christmas shopping this month and share our memories "then and now" to remember them in another 50 years later.  Visualise the differences in the development of Singapore and the world of the future with online shopping for Christmas on the Internet.

Merry Christmas 2013!