40 Nostalgic Pictures That Truly Capture What Christmas Was Like In The '80s For Elder Millennials
1.Circling all the toys you wanted from the Sears Wish Book (that had that distinctive inky smell)...
2....and Toys "R" Us Christmas Dream Book in hopes that your parents would see it and secretly buy it for you for Christmas:
3.Being inundated with Toys "R" Us commercials — which made you aware of what toys were on sale:
4.Kinda getting emotional watching the McDonald's Star Wish commercial:
5.Looking through Family Circle magazine to see what cool crafts you would want to make (even though you'd never end up making any of them):
6.Your parents putting out a bowl of stale old nuts (along with a nutcracker)...
7....and tin Christmas-themed ashtrays on the coffee table as part of the decorations:
8.Your grandma putting out the same old dust-covered ribbon candy on her coffee table every year:
9.Begging your parents take you to McDonald's so that you could get the holiday edition Muppet Babies stuffed animals:
10.And begging for one of these flocked teddy bear pencil toppers that were fun for all of two seconds:
11.Hanging acrylic Christmas stockings on the mantle that always felt very flimsy and were probably huge fire hazards:
12.And wearing lots of itchy and thick acrylic holiday sweaters — that were literally what we would ironically call "ugly Christmas sweaters'" today:
13.Watching lots of random Hanna-Barbera Christmas specials:
14.And of course, watching the excellent A Garfield Christmas:
15.Being a little scared when watching Mickey's Christmas Carol, 'cause it was a tad darker than you expected:
16.Having a not-great-quality VHS tape full of Christmas cartoons that a neighbor or family member taped off TV for your family:
17.Decorating your family's Christmas tree with ball ornaments that felt like they were made with faux silk threads...
KingsKountry / Via etsy.com
18....paper mache ornaments...
19....lots of gaudy tinsel and garland...
20....and fairy lights (which wouldn't turn on if one bulb was burned out):
21.Going with your parents at least once to Hickory Farms to get a gift for a neighbor or one of their bosses:
22.Listening to these two albums over and over while helping your parents decorate the tree:
Disney/ TheWattsShop / Via etsy.com, Disney / Via amazon.com
23.And, of course, also listening to Time Life's Jingle Bell Rock album:
24.Having Frosty the Snowman or Mr. and Mrs. Claus-shaped candles that your parents would decorate with but NEVER light:
25.Your grandma or mom pulling out their decorative porcelain bell (that you were NOT allowed to play with)...
26....and that ceramic light-up Christmas tree that burned you if you touched it:
27.Eating off holiday country geese placemats that looked like these:
28.And drinking from glasses that looked like this:
29.Having fugly metal tins around your house that doubled as decorations and places to store Christmas tree ornaments:
30.Having strictly red candles...
31....and plastic poinsettias as part of the decorations:
32.Knowing someone (if it wasn't your family) who stenciled decorations on their windows:
33.Having all the presents under the tree be wrapped in very shiny and gaudy wrapping paper — also, it being strictly wrapped boxes 'cause gift bags weren't really a thing:
34.Helping or being forced to untangle Christmas lights that looked like this (these also burned your hands if you touched them when they were lit):
35.And having extra Christmas lightbulbs (to replace all those burned out ones) in boxes that looked like this:
36.Setting up these giant-ass, hollow, blow mold candles outside that always toppled over when the wind blew too strong:
37.Finding holiday stickers from Hallmark in your stocking:
38.And getting gift certificates to McDonald's from relatives that didn't know what to get you:
39.Never having enough D batteries Christmas morning for all your new toys ('cause literally every toy took, like, five D batteries to work):
40.And lastly, actually looking forward to going to a crowded mall to look at all the decorations:
