These vintage photos show San Antonio's Christmas spirit

While this photo is undated, you can see the city's official Christmas tree on display in Alamo Plaza.

Rudolph Gras decorates a 50 year old cedar tree near the zoo for the holiday season. The best part? He planted the tree himself in 1917.

Shirley Ann George showed off her missing two front teeth — just like the song! — for the San Antonio Light in 1948. According to the paper, she was '"practicing the song for Santa Claus' visit."

Joske's didn't play around with its holiday decorations. Just take this giant Santa Claus display as proof.

Ca. 1940 - Christmas at La Villita entrance gate at Villta Street and S. Presa. (UTSA Special Collections)

Maria Moreno was photographed carrying armloads of corn shucks by the San Antonio Light in 1948. No doubt preparing for an epic tamalada!

Dec 23, 1936 - 79 years ago today in the San Antonio Light. Photo shows A. G. Sherrer, 1235 Highland Blvd., with elaborate Christmas scene he constructed in his home for his son Jerry. Three electric trains and a complete station help make up this scene.(UTSA Special Collection)

The Texas Top Hands and Santa Claus provided the entertainment for the annual Newsboys' Christmas Dinner in Crystal Ballroom of the Gunter Hotel in 1948.

Santa made the rounds at the Newsboys' Christmas Dinner, probably finding out just what everyone wanted to find under the tree on Christmas morning!

Turns out Santa Claus can rock out on the drums, too!

Downtown San Antonio was plenty festive with subtle decorations along the city streets.

Wouldn't it be so charming to see this decor around downtown today? Here's the outside of the Aztec.

In this 1950 photograph, you can see the Christmas lights hung on the Gibbs building. Note the Christmas tree, from the city's Rotary Club, set up behind the Alamo Cenotaph.

In the 500 block of Fredericksburg Road, there was a lot where you could get your own Christmas tree. Here you can see Richard Mendoza picking his tree. Hopefully he got a good deal.

The cast of the UTSA Child Care Resource Center Christmas Play mugs for the camera in 1977.

Sometimes you don't realize just how big Christmas decorations can be! Here, Margarett Salinas poses with one of the decorations destined to be hung downtown for the 1947 holiday season.

The tamaladas back in the '50s must have been poppin'. Here you can see meat counter workers at La Gloria Food Market.

Little ones surely loved looking at all the themed displays.

Anyone who was in San Antonio in the '60s surely remembers Fantasyland at Joske's.

This was truly a winter wonderland.