Who remembers holiday vacation in the ‘80s? I certainly do, and those years hold some of my fondest holiday memories.
Of course, there were times my siblings and I were bored because we were buttoned up at home. There was only one car in our family and my father took it to work which meant we had to occupy ourselves in ways that didn’t involve going too far from home. And, during school vacation all of our activities were closed down so we’d call our friends on the rotary phone and share what our families were doing instead of seeing each other.
Why this is the year to have an 80’s Christmas
The 80s kind of resemble what we are living in now (without all the doom and gloom of a global pandemic) so this year I thought why not try and put a positive spin on it and have an 80s holiday. Since there is nowhere we can go and we have to rely on ourselves to occupy our time why not make the best out of not being able to see friends and family.
I ordered a few things that made me think of the ‘80s the other day: A big tin of different flavored popcorn, a few games and books, and we are going to watch all the best ‘80s holiday movies and try to make the best of this year.
Here’s why it’s the best year (ever) to have an 80s holiday
1. Your kids will appreciate it
I mean, it’s not like they have much else to do and they are craving a change of pace whether they admit it or not. At least this year when you tell them you are going to string popcorn, decorate sugar cookies, or go sledding they can’t blow you off to go to that party.
You are stuck with each other and doing some different things they’d normally be too busy to do will be good for everyone’s soul.
2. We have the time
With so many activities canceled there’s more time to watch holiday movies together, make homemade pizza for pizza night, and play games. The holidays have always been a time of year many people depend on to slow down and connect with others.
I know a lot of people who have friends and family they only see around the holidays. Without that anchor, we do have our immediate families to connect with on a deeper level. And hey, if you are totally sick of each other the chance to show them some of the things you used to do as a child can be a great bonding experience.
It’s also important to connect with each other like we used to before technology and this is the perfect time of year to do that. As much as our kids won’t admit it, I have a feeling tuning into their phones all all the time is starting to feel empty. This is the perfect year to show them how you used to spend the holidays before cell phones existed–even if it’s only for an hour.
3. Let’s face it, the 80s were just the best
Maybe I’m biased because I grew up in the 80s when we had big catalogues under the Christmas tree and we weren’t allowed to see many friends because my mother declared it as family time. When I think about these days, and talk about them with my old friends, we remember them being magical and fun and we wish we could go back.
My friends and I would send letters to each other in the mail, talk on the phone, and my siblings and I would spend hours watching Christmas specials and eating my mom’s homemade Chex mix. It was simple, uncomplicated, and I never remember my mother worrying about the next activity.
4. At least you will enjoy it
The way I see it, even if your kids hate watching The National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and listening to your favorite holiday hits from the 80s, you will. And we all know that when the head of the household is happy, it makes everyone else happier.
They may complain and roll their eyes when you suggest showing them a video proving Mr. T was Santa in the white house and your old Cabbage Patch kid collection, but you’ll do it anyway. And if none of these things work, you can always load up on some red and green M&Ms (which came out in the 80s) and watch Die Hard (which became a Christmas classic in the ‘80s) and they will never know what you are really up to.
More to Read:
All That I Loved About Christmas As A Child Is Even Better Now
