From Judy Garland and Doris Day to Bob Hope and Shirley Temple, nobody rang in the Christmas spirit like the stars of Old Hollywood.
Whether they were partying at home with their families or partying with other celebrities, they made sure to add a touch of showbiz glamor to the holiday season.
Occasionally, the festivities even took on a spicy twist, as in a classic 1942 photoshoot in which pioneering filmmaker Ida Lupino spanked Santa Claus.
Here, looks back at the Hollywood Christmases of yesteryear….
In 1942, Ida Lupino, then a Warner Brothers star and soon to be a breakthrough filmmaker, starred in a classic photoshoot where she spanked Santa Claus
In 1949, Vera Ellen, who had just starred in On The Town with Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly, anticipated today’s sexy costumes by posing over a chimney in Christmas-themed lingerie
In 1948, Bob Hope and Doris Day brought some Hollywood cheer to American soldiers abroad; They are pictured just about to leave for Berlin to perform for Airlift GIs
When she did this Christmas pinup shoot in Los Angeles in 1940, Mary Martin had already begun the Broadway career that would take her to stardom across the country
Around Christmas 1935, when she posed for this snap, Virginia Gray was still touring chorus girl roles on MGM before gaining the greater notoriety she would later get
Julie Haydon was retiring from the film business in 1937 when this snapshot was taken, then headed east to begin a glittering Broadway career that included the original run of The Glass Menagerie
Priscilla Lane of the Lane Sisters posed for this promotional shot at Christmas 1941, the year she starred opposite the young Ronald Reagan in the romantic comedy Million Dollar Baby
Although a B-movie actor in England, John Bentley had crossover success as a matinee idol in Hollywood, where he celebrated Christmas with his son in 1954
Chris Pine’s grandmother, Anne Gwynne, was a Hollywood actress herself and made a total of eight feature films in 1942, the year she joined the Sexy Santa pinup tradition with this photo
Dorothy Granger, the “Queen of Short Films” best known for her role alongside Laurel and Hardy, brought a touch of slapstick to this 1930 Christmas shot
America was suffering from a wartime Christmas decoration shortage in 1944, leading to this homemade decor photoshoot with Judy Garland’s old rival Deanna Durbin
Esther Pressman, Kay Gordon, Bonita Barker, Dorothy Thompson and Dene Myles posed for this 1935 Paramount Christmas advertisement
Shirley Temple was just six years old when she starred in this holiday season-themed commercial in 1934, the year she became an international superstar in Bright Eyes
Judy Garland stars with child actress Margaret O’Brien on the set of Meet Me In St. Louis, the film in which she introduced her seasonal standard, Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
Judy first became a popular movie star alongside her teenage crush Mickey Rooney in a series of MGM musicals, such as the 1938 picture “Love Finds Andy Hardy” (pictured).
Lionel Barrymore meets with Mary Pickford and Leslie Howard at a party thrown by Gary Cooper at his Hollywood residence on Christmas Eve 1933
At the same party, Leslie (far left) and Lionel (far right) were seen chatting happily with Norma Shearer and her dashing host
On November 29, 1946, Hollywood Boulevard was transformed into Santa Claus Lane for the Christmas parade pictured here, including displays like this $25,000 float
The Santa Claus Lane Parade, which has gone by various names since 1928 and is pictured in 1977, takes place on the Sunday after Thanksgiving
The Santa Claus Lane Parade is pictured in November 1939, just over two years before America entered World War II, which led to the annual extravaganza being suspended until Victory in 1945
Douglas Fairbanks and his son Douglas Fairbanks Jr., the original movie star dynasty, enjoyed this ski trip at Lake Arrowhead, California in 1932, seven years before the elder’s death
Jimmy Durante, the variety show who mocked his own big nose as “Schnozzola,” enjoyed a sunny 1932 Christmas by the pool at the El Mirador Hotel in Palm Springs
Legendary comedy duo George Burns and Gracie Allen, then radio stars, are pictured with gifts for the Salvation Army in December 1939
The Santa Claus Lane Parade has welcomed a dazzling array of stars over the years, including in 1938 when the Marx brothers Harpo, Groucho and Chico all took part
Lassie the film dog was rounded up for this Christmas morning commercial shoot in 1947 with Butch Jenkins, a then 10-year-old child actor who did not appear in the Lassie pictures himself
Of course, the reigning child actress of the time was none other than Shirley Temple, who posed for this Christmas photo in her star year, 1934
Actor Sydney Jarvis is dressed as Santa Claus in this 1935 snap showing him entertaining Wallace Beery and his daughter Carol Ann Beery at a charity event just before Christmas
Four years after Sydney Jarvis was snapped, Wallace and Carol Anne Beery are seen on a float at the Santa Claus Lane Parade
Bob Hope is pictured with Chester Lauck and Norris Goff, who played radio comedy duo Lum and Abner, as they all prepared for a CBS Christmas special in 1947