The Good old days?

[TheGoofster]

Often we hear people talk abou the good old days (used to be only old people doing it, but now it must be OK for younger people to do it, because I find myself doing it alot ), and of course it can apply to pretty much any subject at all. But what about Christmas? Do you think the whole Christmas season was better when you were younger, or do you think it is better now?
Personally I think it was better way back when I was a kid. I think it meant more than just running to the stores (which weren't open as much or as long), and being such a commercial monster. I remember actually hearing people talk about the real reason for the season a whole lot more, and nobody ever seemed to get upset over nativity scenes or any "religious" phrases.
I still love the Christmas season, but I do think it has lot some of its meaning.

 

[apirateslifeforme]

It was MUCH better when I was a kid. My grandfather was still alive (he died on Christmas Eve 1998).

 

[JunieJay]

Love Christmas then, love it now. Holidays and rituals are very important to me.

I like getting together with extended. I love spoiling my kids at Christmas and watching them open their presents. I like making things magical for them, and I usually break the bank to do so. So did my parents. I like picking out a tree, and opening boxes of ornaments that include ones from people who are no longer alive and ones DH and I made ourselves when we were kids.

I very much like the rituals of old and making new rituals with my own family. It doesn't have to be Christmas, but it seems to come naturally this time of year to stop and make something special out of an ordinary activity. Decorate cookies together, or play in the snow and have hot chocolate (hmm, I'm sensing an eating theme here) or taking the whole family to pick out the tree and taking a photo (ok, we don't chop it down like DH's family did when he was a kid, but it's our own little lame ritual). Those things that are special - once a year - and yet familiar. I hope my boys grow up to incorporate these old rituals into their new traditions as well. That to me is what Christmas is all about, and has always been about.

 

[Pop Daddy]

sometimes being poilitcally correct is good, other times not so good

 

[barkley]

yup it was better in the 'good old days'-i was a kid and did'nt have to deal with shopping, wrapping, planning meals....

 

[DVCLiz]

It's interesting to me that "people" (not you, OP) seem to complain about Christmas today as a commercial enterprise, and yet seem helpless to figure out how to avoid it. It's simple - everyone can choose exactly the level of Christmas intensity they want. You can go to the mall and buy an artificial tree that rotates, plays Jingle Bells, and snows on itself, or you can drive to the woods somewhere and cut down your own tree. No judgements - just make a choice. Christmas doesn't have to be a rat race if you don't want it to - after all, it's no surprise that it's coming, or what the date will be. You can easily sit down in July and make a list of everything you want to do for the holidays, and have it all accomplished in a week by Labor Day. It doesn't have to get crazy and excessive if you don't want it to.

Me, I'm with Junie all the way. we love Christmas, and I love to shop and wrap and deliver and visit and cook and decorate and eat and...I just love everything about the whole Christmas seaon!!

 

[TheGoofster]

It's interesting to me that "people" (not you, OP) seem to complain about Christmas today as a commercial enterprise, and yet seem helpless to figure out how to avoid it. It's simple - everyone can choose exactly the level of Christmas intensity they want. You can go to the mall and buy an artificial tree that rotates, plays Jingle Bells, and snows on itself, or you can drive to the woods somewhere and cut down your own tree. No judgements - just make a choice. Christmas doesn't have to be a rat race if you don't want it to - after all, it's no surprise that it's coming, or what the date will be. You can easily sit down in July and make a list of everything you want to do for the holidays, and have it all accomplished in a week by Labor Day. It doesn't have to get crazy and excessive if you don't want it to.

Me, I'm with Junie all the way. we love Christmas, and I love to shop and wrap and deliver and visit and cook and decorate and eat and...I just love everything about the whole Christmas seaon!!

Although I definately agree with you in principal, unfortunately the practicality of doing that is not so easy. Yes, we do teach our kids what the meaning of the season is. We go out of our way to helping people (even more than we normally would) who are needy. We try to avoid a lot of the commercialism that Christmas has become. But if your kids watch any TV at all they are getting constantly bombarded with commercials telling them what their best friends are getting, and that they need it too. Most movies that you can watch nowadays push the retail side of Christmas (For example: Jingle all the way, we love that movie but talk about hitting the nail on the head when it comes to wanting that special toy for Christmas. Or A Christmas Story. Another great movie that pushes the whole "I need this gift" idea.).
I agree that as a parent we can control many things in our kids lives, but fighting the Christmas Media machine that floods every and all channels on the TV and the radio, and the movies, and the magazines, etc... is not such an easy task.
Yes, I love Christmas. Yes, my family loves celebrating Christmas together. Yes, we try to emphasize meaning over materialism. Yes, we have many special traditions, and activities we love to do. But too, yes my kids watch TV.

 

[ButchJohnson]

Guilty here too, I think it may have to do with the fact that you haven't had the kind of fun that you had as a kid, I know thats my deal. You get older, get a real job, things get boring and routine. But we can't live forever.

 

[I Love Pluto]

Holidays in the "olden days" were actual holidays. Everyone had off from work, the stores weren't so greedy with creative shortages of certain toys, and you couldn't get a battery, bread, or milk on Christmas Day. The respect for holidays has been lost.

 

[Blondie]

Definitely better when I was a kid. It was just so magical back then.

I still enjoy the holiday, but it was so much better rushing down the steps on Christmas morning and turning the living room into a vast wasteland of wrapping paper.

It's still a vast wasteland, but now I'm cleaning it up instead of playing in the middle of it.

Oh--and the un PC of it all back then. Now we all have to make sure we don't say something that's offensive to the other regarding Christmas vs. Holiday, etc.

 

[Blondie]

Holidays in the "olden days" were actual holidays. Everyone had off from work, the stores weren't so greedy with creative shortages of certain toys, and you couldn't get a battery, bread, or milk on Christmas Day. The respect for holidays has been lost.

Wow, that sums it up beautifully for me!

 

[U2_rocks!]

Although I definately agree with you in principal, unfortunately the practicality of doing that is not so easy. Yes, we do teach our kids what the meaning of the season is. We go out of our way to helping people (even more than we normally would) who are needy. We try to avoid a lot of the commercialism that Christmas has become. But if your kids watch any TV at all they are getting constantly bombarded with commercials telling them what their best friends are getting, and that they need it too. Most movies that you can watch nowadays push the retail side of Christmas (For example: Jingle all the way, we love that movie but talk about hitting the nail on the head when it comes to wanting that special toy for Christmas. Or A Christmas Story. Another great movie that pushes the whole "I need this gift" idea.).
I agree that as a parent we can control many things in our kids lives, but fighting the Christmas Media machine that floods every and all channels on the TV and the radio, and the movies, and the magazines, etc... is not such an easy task.
Yes, I love Christmas. Yes, my family loves celebrating Christmas together. Yes, we try to emphasize meaning over materialism. Yes, we have many special traditions, and activities we love to do. But too, yes my kids watch TV.

Maybe it's time to switch off the TV for a while and watch old favourite DVDs or something. Our Christmas is not commercial at all, and maybe part of that is that my kids don't watch American TV. They don't know what the "hot" toys are. The girls (3 and 5) haven't asked for anything. DS (6) half-heartedly mentioned a Gameboy and a go-kart, but he knows there's not much chance of getting them and he's fine with that. He mentioned a couple more reasonable things that were based on his current interests, and we've gotten those for him. My kids really don't give me any pressure when it comes to stuff - sweets now, that's a different story! They are little sweet tooths just like me!

I am very grateful for the Discovery Kids channel that we get from somewhere in South America, where the commercials are all in Spanish (we don't speak Spanish) and the commercials are actually very few and not very exciting! We do get a few US network channels, but the kids don't watch those.

Honestly - switch off that TV! It makes a big difference!

 

[iluvdisnee]

Often we hear people talk abou the good old days (used to be only old people doing it, but now it must be OK for younger people to do it, because I find myself doing it alot ), and of course it can apply to pretty much any subject at all. But what about Christmas? Do you think the whole Christmas season was better when you were younger, or do you think it is better now?
Personally I think it was better way back when I was a kid. I think it meant more than just running to the stores (which weren't open as much or as long), and being such a commercial monster. I remember actually hearing people talk about the real reason for the season a whole lot more, and nobody ever seemed to get upset over nativity scenes or any "religious" phrases.
I still love the Christmas season, but I do think it has lot some of its meaning.

I have to agree with you! and for me it will always be MERRY CHRISTMAS and a CHRISTMAS TREE! Non of this Happy Holidays / Holiday Tree nonsense! Flame suit Donned for I'm sure I'm gonna get FLAMED!!!

 

[miss missy]

My Christmas memories are great. I try to carry that on for my kids, just the way I had them, but it just isnt the same. Everything seems like its a job now, not a celebration. Its sad. The whole thing is just not like ist was when I was lil.

 

[schmitty]

I think its better now. Christmas was banned in the old days.

 

[TheGoofster]

I think its better now. Christmas was banned in the old days.

Just how old are you???

 

[schmitty]

400 years old lol. Im 19 but I honestly don't think the Christmas time has been any less Christmasy. People who celebrate Christmas celebrate more than ever to prove to others that its Christmas season.

It being banned was a joke about how Christmas used to be banned in America when the puritans first came here.

 

[disneyfan67]

Holidays in the "olden days" were actual holidays. Everyone had off from work, the stores weren't so greedy with creative shortages of certain toys, and you couldn't get a battery, bread, or milk on Christmas Day. The respect for holidays has been lost.

That is true. Last year the fast food places about two miles from my house were open for the most part. Nothing says Merry Christmas like Taco Bell, McDonald's and Burger King.

I also noticed that just about every gas station was open as well. I remember as a kid nothing was open and you stayed in for the most part, except for traveling to other people's houses to celebrate. You're correct about the respect factor as well, it does seem the respect for the holidays has been lost. If it keeps up at this rate within 10 years it will be just like a having a Saturday off or something, IMO.

 

[MUFFYCAT]

It's interesting to me that "people" (not you, OP) seem to complain about Christmas today as a commercial enterprise, and yet seem helpless to figure out how to avoid it. It's simple - everyone can choose exactly the level of Christmas intensity they want. You can go to the mall and buy an artificial tree that rotates, plays Jingle Bells, and snows on itself, or you can drive to the woods somewhere and cut down your own tree. No judgements - just make a choice. Christmas doesn't have to be a rat race if you don't want it to - after all, it's no surprise that it's coming, or what the date will be. You can easily sit down in July and make a list of everything you want to do for the holidays, and have it all accomplished in a week by Labor Day. It doesn't have to get crazy and excessive if you don't want it to.

Me, I'm with Junie all the way. we love Christmas, and I love to shop and wrap and deliver and visit and cook and decorate and eat and...I just love everything about the whole Christmas seaon!![/QUOTE]


I agree!

It's all what you make the season to be.
I enjoy the shopping, music and everything that has to do with Christmas.

 

[GeorgeG]

Christmas (and a whole lot of other things) seemed better in the "old" days. Of course, the "old days" will be different depending on your age. Things tend to change over generations and not a few years. I'm sure younger folks would not be happy with my "old days" and when right now fits that description they will probably reflect back on what we have now. Kinda scary, I think, but as we all get older our memories mean more to us.