Newark served as the primary holiday destination for New Jersey families during the early 20th century. Bamberger’s department store started its annual Thanksgiving Day parade in 1932. This event featured large balloons and marching bands that traveled down Market Street. Crowds filled the sidewalks to see the debut of Santa Claus at the end of the route. Inside the store, the Seventh Floor Toyland provided a massive display of electric trains and dolls. Children waited in long lines to tell Santa their wishes in a set designed to look like the North Pole.
The boardwalk in Asbury Park hosted unique winter celebrations in the 1940s. A towering Christmas tree sat inside the Grand Avenue entrance of Convention Hall. Residents from across the shore region traveled to see the holiday decorations reflecting off the Atlantic Ocean. Local choirs performed inside the heated theater while shoppers visited the boutiques along the wooden boards. This area remained a hub for social gatherings even during the cold winter months.
Holiday traditions shifted toward the suburbs during the 1950s and 1960s. Families in towns like Cherry Hill and Willingboro used heavy-duty outdoor lights to outline their rooflines and windows. These lights used large C7 or C9 bulbs that produced deep colors and significant heat. Inside the living rooms, many residents chose artificial aluminum trees. A motorized wheel with four colored glass panels sat on the floor. It spun slowly to make the silver branches appear red, green, and blue. Families gathered around these trees to open gifts on Christmas morning.
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Community events defined the season in smaller towns throughout the state. In the 1960s, volunteer fire departments in places like Fair Lawn and Woodbridge began a tradition of driving Santa through every street. He sat on the back of a decorated fire engine while a siren signaled his arrival. Children ran to the curb to receive small bags of hard candy or oranges. Many towns also organized communal tree lightings on their central greens.
Winter recreation was a central part of the New Jersey holiday experience. Residents gathered at Nomahegan Park or Holmdel Park when the temperature stayed below freezing for several days. They built large bonfires on the banks of the frozen ponds to stay warm between skating sessions. In the 1970s, the lighting of the Great Tree at the Garden State Plaza in Paramus became a major event for shoppers. This massive structure featured thousands of white lights and stood in the center of the parking lot.
