Over the river and through the woods, To Grandmothers house we go! The horse knows the way, to carry the sleigh, Through white and drifted snow. Over the river and through the woods, Now Grandmothers cap I spy! Hurrah for the funthe puddings done! Hurrah for the pumpkin pie! Traditional Mmm-mmm! Christmas pudding! Pumpkin pie! (And dont forget those chestnuts roasting on an open fire.) Can it get any more Christmassy than this? Why sure it can, especially when the goodies are served up in dishes expressly styled for the season. Christmas cookies? Yummy all by themselves, but a visual treat too, when piled high on a plate encircled by Santas welcoming arms. How about a reindeer-led cracker tray sleigh, with old St. Nick himself cracking the whip? And why settle for plain old everyday salt-and-peppers? The yuletide has arrived, and so have the Mr. & Mrs. Snowman S & Ps (and the Mr. and Mrs. Santa ones, too.) During the 1940s, 50s, and 60s, decorating for the holidays meant decorating everything for the holidays. All by itself, a twinkling tinseled tree just didnt cut it. From top to bottom, the entire house had to be Christmas-ized. So, while Dad busied himself running up the ladder (and the light bill), with outdoor decorations that would be the envy of the neighborhood, Mom busied herself (and busied herself, and busied herself) decorating everything else. Moms domain was indoors, where she was awash in stacks of homemaking magazines eager to help her dazzle with the best Christmas ever. Publications such as Good Housekeeping and Better Homes & Gardens presented holiday edition specials, chock-full of hints on how to achieve a happy holiday dcor. A focal point of Moms holiday decorating scheme was the dining room table, festively accented with seasonal dcor pieces and serving dishes for the soon-to-come Christmas dinner. Who knew there could be so many variations on a theme? Perched atop pine boughs were centerpieces starring the elves, the reindeer, choruses of carolers, and an avalanche of snowmen. Renditions of this standard cast of characters were endless. They were featured on candy dishes, ash trays, drinking glasses, mugs, cookie plates, tidbit trays, salt-and-peppers, and candleholders. Other celebrants ranged from angelic candle-huggers, to Christmas pigs ready to be impaled with hors doeuvres toothpicks. And, of course, there were Santas (and Mrs. Santas): Santa plates, Santa mugs, Santa candy dishes, and winking Santa water pitchers (just for starters). Source materials ran the gamut, from glass and plastic, to wood and metal. Homemaking magazines encouraged the especially crafty to rummage through what was at hand for homemade artistic inspiration, resulting in a merry multitude of cardboard Santas with cotton ball whiskers, and construction paper angels with paper doily wings. Among the more unusual suggestions: a dining room wall hanging that Better Homes & Gardens dubbed The Holiday Mice. Creating it was supposedly a snap: silver-spray mousetraps, frame with wire coat hangers, and join with festive ribbon. Then, just add pink rubber mice, and hang this unique wall decoration. Your dinner guests will squeak with pleasure. (And probably leave most of their Christmas dinner on their plates.) Although sleighfuls of holiday servers continue to be produced today, those stirring up the happiest memories are the ones dating from the mid-20th century. Inexpensive then, they continue to be affordable today, with many in the $25-and-under range. The reason? Importers such as Lefton, Napco, and Enesco turned these out by the thousands, and vintage Christmas charmers are now found by the thousands every day on eBay. So, setting a holiday table as appealing as Moms is as easy as (pumpkin) pie! (And when youre finished, you can check out some of the baking suggestions homemaking magazines had, for Mom to fill up all those servers: Christmas Cookies with Your Own Hands, Sensational Santa Claus Cakes, and 3-D Cookies To Hang On Your Tree!) Merry Christmas! Photo Associate: Hank Kuhlmann. Donald-Brian Johnson is the co-author of numerous Schiffer books on design and collectibles, including Postwar Pop, a collection of his columns. Please address inquiries (or holiday greetings) to: donaldbrian@msn.com.