What Christmas Looked (And Tasted!) Like Over The Last 80 Years
We might just write to Santa for an Easy-Bake Oven again this year. 😉

Since New Year’s is all about making resolutions and looking forward, during the Christmas holiday season, we’re all about indulging in some good old-fashioned nostalgia. The traditions we take part in, the decorations we hold onto forever, the recipes we can't imagine not making—December is the perfect time to remember all the great, wacky, and memorable holidays we had growing up and why we loved them. Though every year we get excited to incorporate new trends and customs into our celebrations, year after year we find that the true magic of this season lies in our memories. That's why we couldn't think of a more fun trip down memory lane than recalling what Christmas was like over the past few decades, from the good to the very, shall we say, questionable.
There’s honestly SO much we love about the holidays, it was hard to narrow it down. Is it the tree? Fun fact: During the second World War, Christmas lights were deemed “unnecessary” to produce, so people had to get creative with their decorations. Is it the presents? NGL, we’d still be pretty stoked to receive an Easy-Bake Oven, one of the hot gifts of 1963. Is it the Christmas movies? From It’s A Wonderful Life to Elf to A Christmas Story, there’s no better way to celebrate than watching a holiday film with your family and friends.
And we can’t forget about the food! There have been some WILD holiday trends over the years, like a snowman made of coleslaw (1970s), a “party loaf” made of mayonnaise (1980s), and over-the-top ice cream sundaes (made famous by Home Alone 2 in 1992). While we might not be revisiting those, we’re certainly still making peppermint bark (homemade or from the tins, like William Sonoma’s circa 1998), cheese fondue (1970s), pigs in a blanket (the first recipe for which was published by Betty Crocker in 1957), and any kind of alcoholic party punch (1960s). Take inspiration (and laughs) from these recipes and ideas, then get creative and make your own! You never know, we might be documenting them in 20 years time.

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