I’m dreaming of an early 90s Christmas

[jacqattacq]

I’m a child of the 80s (born in 77) so am usually nostalgic for those days at christmas time, but for some reason I’m suddenly craving the christmases of my teens:

Shopping with my mates in the newly opened shopping centre and going for a Burger King (FANCY compared to McDonalds back then because it was a novelty), deliberating over which Body Shop gift basket to buy my mum - white musk, dewberry or go rogue and get ananya?

Will my BFF buy me Tribe perfume for Christmas or a Purple Ronnie mug? When is the One Foot in the Grave Christmas special on? Will my dad let me have some Babycham? (Still a thing in the 90s) Can I convince my mum to put up the tacky foil garland decorations instead of all the new Victorian themed stuff that she bought last year when she decided it was all too dated?

Will the sound of christmas morning be a Now album or the Smash Hits compilation? There’s bound to be one of those in my stocking. And will my festive makeup look be created with Miners eyeshadow or the lurid M&S palette that everyone had back then? (Heather Shimmer lipsticks was non negotiable).

I was a 1977 baby too. Christmas was coming down the stairs to a pillow case of gifts on each chair for me and my brothers and sisters. Gifts were simpler back then - we got one big thing in the region of £30, and then some stocking fillers. Always a tangerine.and chocolate selection box...my favourite was one year I asked for a ghetto blaster to listen to my own music, I'd seen it in a local shop and begged my mum for it...and the T'pau album I played it non stop on cassette!!! Thought I was so sophisticated...The worst was the year I asked for Eternity perfume and my sister knocked it over and spilled it then bought me back Charlie out of her own money....Loved Christmas day Top of the pops but we were never allowed to watch it as we were having visitors so tv was firmly off all day xxx

Can we all have a moment of silence for Susan Chalmers out of a PP’s class who got a carriage clock for Christmas.

Yes, I agree that life was much more humdrum back then so Christmas really felt special when it came around. Plus all the shops shutting for what felt like forever. They only close on Christmas Day and anew Years day now and some convenience shops even open on those days so you’re never really without anything. Back then if you forgot to get batteries by Christmas Eve you were buggered until the 27th.

There was so much less of everything then and I think I preferred it like that. I remember having to wear my mum’s old wellies which had a slightly high heel when it snowed when I was 11 because I didn’t have any of my own. We were relatively well off by standards those days but we still didn’t have everything that kids have now. Having a pair of school shoes and a crappy pair of trainers was normal. Wearing your mum’s/siblings jumpers because you didn’t have many of your own was normal. Salted peanuts were a treat at Christmas or parties because they weren’t something that you’d just snack on whenever you fancied. Shower gel or bubble bath was a valid Christmas present because there wasn’t so much choice in the shops.

About a week before Christmas (80s and 90s) my mum would put a tablecloth over a dresser in our front room and put out ‘Christmas things’, which weren’t to be touched until the day. Looking back they were so basic.

Eat Me dates
A red string bag of nuts in shells
Cheesy footballs
Chipstick crisps
Twiglets
After Eights
Quality Street
Milk tray
Terrys All Gold
1 bottle of red, 1 bottle of white, a bottle of sherry, a bottle of port and a few Guinesses for my dad

It seemed so extravagant!

In the later 90s I was at work —when I dropped out of university— and my dad would buy me and my sister a bottle each of ‘our drink’ (courvoisier for me, absolut vodka for her). We knew we were getting it, but it always felt like such a huge treat and we’d eke it out for ages.

I'm inspired to make a 90's Christmas playlist thanks to this thread, or for historical accuracy, a cassette tape. Any song suggestions?

If you listen to the radio as background noise, can I recommend Heart Eighties? It’s providing a very nostalgic break from the usual R6 and R4 for me

Ah, key part of a night out was Bourjois Rouge Bordeaux nails and lips.

That was a crossed post Sinister, but you might find some inspo on Heart 80s although it’s the wrong decade, the nostalgia factor is high.

I’ll have a think about nineties tracks... but you deffo need to start with East 17’s classic.

'77 baby here. By around '92, mine and much of my sisters Christmas Days were spent scheming how much wine / lambrusco we could feasibly drink without being caught. That and dragging whichever utterly terrified boyfriend of the moment was around, to our extended family boxing day do's

Christmas day was always punctuated by family tension due to the GPs, highlight in the early 90's when my parents had decided to eat 'posh' was my nanna refusing to eat the smoked salmon they lovingly bought as 'it was raw'

I miss the liquor chocolates!!! Tiny little bottles of chocolate filled with a nasty 'alcohol' liquid!!. LOVED THEM

God no. 90s xmases coincided with no more toys, as I hit double figures. None of my mates came out on Xmas day and my family.didn't really do fun stuff- more dad drinking in front of the telly and sleeping until.Fools and horses came on. Xmas got better at 17, when I could escape to my bf's and spend Xmas eve in.the pub.

Thought you’d all like these: m.youtube.com/watch?v=tJnN26bzYec

There was none of this pressure as well to fill the whole of December with Christmas activities and "make memories". I think we were maybe taken to Santa in a department store once when we were little and that was it! Our highlight was playing out in our street afterwards with our new toys as there was loads of kids in our street....simple pleasures .

That's it I'm buying some DM's tomorrow! I keep thinking about it and putting it off but I've made up my my mind now. In fact I'm going online and ordering some now!! Born in 77 and never went anywhere without my beloved DM's.

Those adverts Jacqattacq 🙈
What’s amazing is how expensive everything was, compared to today’s prices... no wonder we didn’t get as much back then!

Yep Peronizuchini I noticed that too. Only food was cheaper in those adverts. ‘Stuff’ (clothes, toys, cosmetics, electrical) are still much the same price these days or even cheaper, but housing, food and petrol are sky high now. I would much rather be able to afford a decent house than have endless stuff.

Housing costs much more important jacqattacq.

I recently hauled an old winter coat out of the back of a cupboard. It cost me £120 early nineties. The thickness and warmth of the fabric, well, you just couldn’t get anything that quality now.

Didn't get a Naf co54 jacket
Did get a reversible walkman and a chrome coloured plastic dummy necklace one year. I was happy

I was born in 83 so don't pine for the fashions etc but I do yearn for lights like these and a cake like this!!

Modern lights just aren't as warm are they, now they don't have the pink bulb.

thenewave, I was just saying this to DP! where are the warm lights.. you never, ever see pink.. bring back the pink! (and I'm a 70s baby)
Blue lights should be banned

I've ordered some genuine 80s lights from eBay, they are waiting at the post office for me to collect them. They have the pink one I think!

I was born in 73 so i remember the early 90s really well Did anyone else get this gift.

i remember my main Christmas present from 1990. No 7 Christmas Treasures. It was No 7 make up in a box shaped like a treasure chest. A Christmas present from DM.

I remember the lipsticks had little pictures or drawings of Christmas candles on them. I cant remember what little pictures were on the other items as it was so long ago. Obviously the items are long gone but i still have the treasure chest shaped box. DH uses it to keep bits + bobs in.

In 84 i got bought some chocolates by someone who didnt realize they were liquor ones I was three quarters of the way through the box before my dad snatched them off me when he realized what they were. i was eleven.

i remember those Christmas cakes with the paper all the way around M+S did them.

Christmas outings included being driven around to look at other people's trees in the windows.

Nobody really had house lights outside.

90's Christmas must include body shop bath pearls and their milk bath stuff that came in a wee pouch with a scoop. I loved it. And banana hair masque.

I was to be found in tartan a line skirt, DMs and a ribbed roll neck jumper on Christmas day. Feeling v fancy. Definitely used my bronze sparkly eyeshadow in a little tin from boots, and some clear mascara from 17.

Christmas outings included being driven around to look at other people's trees in the windows.

We did this! It was an annual tradition. DS thinks it's bonkers.

‘81 baby here. Loving some of the memories!
Yes to the Boots elements smellies. Also Body Shop blue ice shampoo- it made your head tingle!
We were all getting record bags for school (whole generation of shoulder strains?), NafNaf bomber jackets and a pair of kickers. You were allowed to like the Back Street Boys and E17 but deffo not Take That. If you were really lucky you’d be getting a Sony Discman to listen to a new cd on.
Purple Ronnie cards, fruit shaped soaps or a box of Black Magic for the teacher’s presents. Of course there were no TAs to buy for back then!
And then to meet mates at the park to share a pack of lambert & butlers and a bottle of 20/20 and try not to set fire to your hair which is very crunchy due to excessive Wella mousse. Happy days!