To think my MIL is wrong?

[Bluemonkey18]

I was talking with gf mother (61) about carving pumpkins and she said that they didn't have pumpkins back in the 60s and instead carved turnips. She said they would put a candle inside and run around, rattling bins and scaring people. And that trick or treating wasn't a thing.

Not only is the OP's MiL entirely correct about the turnip/swede carving (I'm 64 and NEVER saw a pumpkin until I was several decades old) but all of what the person I've quoted here mentions was, as suggested, utterly unheard of in my day.

I'm going to go even further - I finished Y11 in 74, Y13 in 76 and there wasn't so much as a leavers' assembly, much less a disco and definitely no shirt signing. We finished our exams and then took our books back!

Totally agree with what @VickyEadieofThigh and @reesewithoutaspoon have said. A load of money making nonsense. As I always say, I wonder how many British traditions have been adopted in the US or is it a one way thing?

I cringe at nursery "graduations". I left primary school in 1974 - no event to mark it and ditto with high school 5 years later.