Christmas in 2022 vs Christmas in the 80s

[Juan777]

How do you remember Christmas to be now compared to the 80s?

I've looked at a number of blogs online about it, and some of the points resonated with me. One of the most prevalent point is how Christmas holiday season really kicked off when it was December and didn't really overlap in November or just after Halloween. That point stuck out the most.

My personal situation is rather extreme as I don't have a wife, children, or any connection to younger generations, and my folks are of the "Silent Generation" and were born during the advent and near end of WW2. A time, I remind myself, that my folks were babies and very young children when all that action was happening in Europe. But that's aside the point:

I remember the 80s Christmas fondly. It was a time I cared about writing Christmas card to everyone in my family or everybody that I knew. I'd put up a Christmas tree, decorations, with a star on top, and sometimes lights outside the house. Then I'd wrap various gifts in presents and sent them off and hand deliver them before Christmas day and collect mine in same. We also collected various gifts of different types and always had that anticipation to wait until Dec 25th in the morning to open them. I'd visit family on both my father and mother's side.

Fast foward to today. I might buy a bunch of teas that have Christmas-like flavours on them and look forward to time off work. Perhaps watch a bunch of Christmas movies that bring me into the holiday mood. Of course, some of them will be really focusing on Jesus, His birth, and focusing on Jesus the reason of the season. But totally divorced from social dimensions and it's just a festive occassion until the next year. However, I don't think it's just me. I think there are lots of things that make 80s different, take these music videos for example:

If you look at this video -- it makes it feel very 80s in reflection, one because I heard it allot during my childhood and even today it brings out the more caring, or generous mood that may have been more prevalent on that decade. For one, people are better off than today and you don't have crazy inflation and potential food-shortages coming the next year. There was a better society with more social cohesion than today in general and it all spills over to a better quality of the holidays.

I'm sure everyone here might have their own take on it, but how do you find Christmas today vs the 80s? Is there anything you experienced as a kid, that you feel your kids missed out on and it's not the same thing? If you are single how are you coping during the holidays?

 

[timothyu]

I understand where you are coming from but I can say the same of the 80's compared to the 50's. Yes even then it was commercialized especially thanks to the US and it's influence in secular carols and movies, but the further back you go the simpler it all was, the fear of speaking of Jesus was less, and the Christmas season was of shorter duration which made it all the more special. There is something more soothing about popcorn strings and paper chains on the trees than the LED vomit of flashing ornaments today. Perhaps Cmas Story III where Ralphie's kids experience your 80's Christmas will be illuminating.

 

[Juan777]

I understand where you are coming from but I can say the same of the 80's compared to the 50's. Yes even then it was commercialized especially thanks to the US and it's influence in secular carols and movies, but the further back you go the simpler it all was, the fear of speaking of Jesus was less, and the Christmas season was of shorter duration which made it all the more special. There is something more soothing about popcorn strings and paper chains on the trees than the LED vomit of flashing ornaments today. Perhaps Cmas Story III where Ralphie's kids experience your 80's Christmas will be illuminating.

I enjoy watching movies like "Its a Wonderful Life" (1946) because it captures the Christmas spirit and its a lovely black and white movie. I used to watch it in Super 8mm film then on TV. This movie, and perhaps Back to the Future (1985)'s, (which I watched on a 16 mm projector at home) depiction of the 50s are some of the iconic movies I have to go on. I like 50s depictions of 80s movies, or actual movies made around that time-period so I can understand something about that, even as a child growing up in the 80s.

I can say I enjoyed watching the two above movies during my childhood and they were both watched in a mechanical projector. As a child a mechanical projector (ie one would say is outdated in the 80s as you had camcorders and VCRs) was always a fascination with me, but I'm sure older generations had more of that and it was more common further into the past.

 

[mama2one]

since I have a daughter & husband, I like Christmas much more now than childhood

this year we got a live tree for the first time in years
teen picked it out & husband cut it down
it's a beautiful, full tree
I've always like seeing icicle lights on houses so got some this year to put on our porch rail
I saw on internet a front door made up like a snowman so we did that, also

the elderly woman across street came over to say she liked our decorations (first time ever)

sometimes we go to 2 different churches for Christmas

one year our daughter said to us that the best part of Christmas was spending time with family

 

[Rescued One]

I was born after the war (WW 2), but my kids were born in the 70s. Christmas isn't the same at all.

I wish my husband hadn't passed away ten years ago. I don't put up my tree anymore. But Christmas is still in my mind and my memories, my favorite holiday.

We didn't have a projecter and my mother only put up a tree and Gurley candles and maybe 2 red tapers; zero outdoor decorations.

 

[littleangelone]

i have to agree when i was a little girl in the 70's & a teenager in the 80's Christmas was much better then it is today, i remember stores saying Merry Christmas on their advertiments on T.V. today you hardly ever see that, back in the 70's & 80's people said Merry Christmas, today you don't hardly hear that anymore, i remember watching all those Christmas specials on T.V. today you hardly see them on the channels that they were featured on because some of them have moved to streaming or other channels on T.V.

 

[MissRowy]

I think compared to back when I was a kid in the early 80s, Christmas was something we looked forward to because my parents back then didn't have much money and they worked their backsides off to give us a good Christmas. Many kids today don't have that struggle, they are all about technology. I remember my brother getting his first mobile phone when he was 15. Now kids are playing with mobile phones at the age of three! And there aren't many Christmas movies now. Not like in the 80s when they would be on all day. Now you're lucky to get one Christmas movie!

 

[littleangelone]

good points here

 

[Diamond7]

It was a time I cared about writing Christmas card

I really noticed that people do not write cards like they use to. I think it is because they message so much that they are not used to using the postal system. Or people like me that are fed up with the post office charging $5 for what used to cost fifty cents. It is no wonder everyone and everything is a scam because the post office and the united states government (both parties) are a BIG SCAM in this post-pandemic era.

The Big difference with me is in the 80's I had Christmas with my DNA family. Now it is more with my wife, her family, and a lot of our friends or family by marriage. We cut it down this year to 15 or 20 people. Seemed a little unusual not to have more. A lot of people died in the last few years though as we are getting into our 70's & 80's.

 

[littleangelone]

great perspective here