GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — As we count down to midnight, many assume our beloved New Year's Eve traditions have always been around. But a trip down memory lane reveals West Michigan's celebrations have evolved somewhat over the past century.
Julie Tabberer, head of the Grand Rapids History Center at the Public Library, shared an incredible find: a collection of New Year’s Eve postcards sent to the prominent Wilson family in 1924.
"At first, we thought it was just old newspapers, but then we found amazing things," she explained. “He was a real estate developer, and he developed and plotted a lot of what is now the city of Wyoming, Wilson Avenue.”
Aside from the now-vintage aesthetic adorning the paper greetings, traditions have changed as well.
In the 1920s, much of West Michigan seemingly rang in the New Year with midnight movie screenings.
Ads we pulled from the archives showed an exciting screening of Peter Pan in 1924.
1927 brought a "Collegiate Night and Carnival of Fun," complete with “balloons, confetti, serpentine, and noisemakers.”
In 1929, moviegoers enjoyed The Taming of the Shrew starring Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks.
Before social media, locals shared their celebrations through the newspapers.
A January 1920 edition of the Grand Rapids Press reported on a family’s watch party.
“A midnight supper was served in the dining room which was attractive with holiday decorations. … Covers were laid for 16 at the table which had a basket of pointsettias and greens for a centerpiece,” it reads.
You can discover more historical gems at the Grand Rapids Public Library's History Center.
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