Retro Christmases

[Grinchycrinchy]

I was born late 70’s, so an 80’s kid, 90’s teen.

The things I remember from childhood Christmases were..selection boxes, Jackie annual, Wizard, huge gatherings with relatives drinking and smoking in the houses, a Father Christmas float that came down the street, a feeling of complete excitement and magic

Anyone else?

Same era as me!
I remember mini Dairy Milk dispensers and Quality Street in tins.
Did you have a Sindy House?

The Smash Hits Yearbook, those shiny garlands you hung on the ceiling from corner to corner and the smell of cigar smoke, mmmm lovely!

@Eloradannin Yes! I much preferred Sindy to Barbie
I really really wanted a dairy milk or Bourbon mini dispenser, but was never allowed one 🤷🏻‍♀️Same with a Mr Frosty 😂

Born early 70s so very similar.

Satin-covered tree baubles
Ordering your Christmas fizzy drinks from the milkman - orangeade, limeade, cream soda.
Two Ronnies' Christmas Special
Blue Peter fire hazard Advent Crown
Woollies' Christmas advert
Beano annual
Christmas tree lights in different colours where if one bulb went you had to try all of them to find out which one and replace it. There was also a special bulb you had to put in if you wanted them to flash
Rose and lemon Turkish Delight in octagonal boxes

Lots and lots of tinsel..the thick kind and also the sort of thin tinsel draped over the tree branches. Real tree and fake snow smell and coloured lights

@Grinchycrinchy

Lots and lots of tinsel..the thick kind and also the sort of thin tinsel draped over the tree branches. Real tree and fake snow smell and coloured lights

Still use both types of tinsel in this house! Husband hates the one you drape over the tree though!

1971 born... Taking my new doll and pram round the block!
Etch a sketch..
Tony tears.

Lametta... Not thin tinsel!!

I’m early 80s. Those foil hanging decorations, babycham, smash hits annuals.

orange and lemon slices in a box

mushroom vol au vents

Xmas editions of the Radio Times AND TV Times because you needed both to cover all (four) channels, and a big box of Newberry Fruits.

Etch a sketch!

@LadyRoughDiamond Circling what you wanted to watch in the Tv times

Yep same. I think everyone thinks about their childhood Christmases that way though?

I'm another 71baby!

The sallies coming around on the back of a truck, playing and singing Christmas carols, plastic tea sets, selection boxes, tubes of jelly beans, a full roast and Christmas pud' in the middle of bleeding summer.

Yes the Smash Hits yearbook! and No1! Still have mine in parents loft along with my Wham! scrapbooks...

@LadyRoughDiamond

Xmas editions of the Radio Times AND TV Times because you needed both to cover all (four) channels, and a big box of Newberry Fruits.

Oh, yes! Normally we only had the Radio Times & had to look at the day's paper to see ITV's schedule so it was a huge novelty to be able to see in advance what ITV was showing.

70's - I remember making paperchains, sending letters to Father Christmas up the chimney, holly hobby dolls, nylon nighties with nylon sheets - oh the hours of sparky fun, my mums home baking, having fizzy pop and crisps in the house (never had them normally), smokey beery parties with drunk people smelling of Tweed and drinking red barrel or Cherry B, Midnight mass - singing in the choir, carol singing and deperately wanting a pony!

Born 1971... if you could see any part of the tree, you hadn't put enough tinsel on.. my parents ended up banning it in the end..
Paper garlands brought out year after year with scuffy edges and remnants of ancient crusty Blutak...
Boxes of toffee slab that came with a hammer to smash it..
I once got an entire box of orange creams.. i was the only one who liked them
Buying friends eyeshadow sets from Medicare.. always deep blues and purples. Getting them scrubbed off our lids by year head at school..with rough loo roll..no wipes or micellar back then!
Getting Pierrot EVERYTHING

Same era!

My mum used to set up a table in the front room with a tablecloth on it and put out satsumas, a net bag of mixed nuts in their shells, Eat Me Dates, Milk Tray (for us kids) and Black Magic or Terry’s All Gold and After Eights for the grown ups. And Quality Street (tins were massive!). It was there from about the 21st but we werent allowed to touch it until Christmas Eve. God, it was SO exciting.

The cadburys mini dairy mills that you could never buy the mini ones to refill. Gutting when you realised.

Born early 70s and so many of these resonate with me
I came in to say orange and lemon slice sweets ( always on the sideboard next to the Turkish delight ) , Also pre-cut strips of gummed paper for making paper chains and always a Terry’s chocolate orange in my stocking

Having the school post box for cards..and volunteering to hand them out around the classes.. always highlight of the day and counting who had the most..

@EvilPea

The cadburys mini dairy mills that you could never buy the mini ones to refill. Gutting when you realised.

That's a hell of a business model for Cadbury's!

TV always showing wizard of oz