Reviving the Millennial Holiday Experience

Hello, hello!

First of all, we must give an obligatory disclaimer that this isn’t a bitter, anti-new-generations thinkpiece. HOWEVER, if you’re a parent who was born in the 80s or 90s, I’m fairly certain you get nostalgic about certain parts of the holiday season from your childhood years, and maybe you’re interested in trying to tap into that feeling with your own kids (even though they were born in some crazy year like 2023).

So! We’ve put together a little list of ideas of ways to bring back the millennial childhood magic of Christmas/Hannukah/general sparkly December. Some of these may or may not be compatible with the age of your child, but use your best judgement!

Leave the symmetrical, sophisticated and colour-coordinated decorations behind

Part of the charm of the millennial Christmas memory is that the living room and tree decorations were cozy, colourful, and sentimental, not perfect and polished. We’re talking mismatched ornaments, excessive tinsel, colourful lights instead of gold or white, anything homemade, and bonus points for anything from your actual childhood (call your parents to see if they kept a collection!). Enlist your littles to make an ornament; things that look like they were hurriedly, excitedly handmade by a child is exactly the point.

Get a photo with a mall Santa

Sometimes awkward, sometimes heartwarming, sometimes a lot of time spent standing in line, but ALWAYS reminiscent of the 80s and 90s.

Classic cookie decorating

This one is timeless and obviously still popular, so I can’t claim it for the childhood of yesteryear, but any hands-on activity still brings back that good feeling. Get some cookie cutters in the shape of trees, dreidels, or just circles if you’re not feeling fancy, find the easiest sugar cookie or gingerbread recipe you can, and go crazy with icing and sprinkles.

Catalog circling!

It might be a challenge to find these days, but try to get your hands on any physical store/brand catalog you can find, arm your kids with a pen and tell them to circle the things they like! The feel of the paper brings you immediately back to poring over toy catalogs as a kid.

No-brainer: put on a classic kid-friendly movie/holiday special from before 2002

• Franklin’s Magic Christmas (2001) - Christmas

• Even Stevens - Heck of a Hanukkah (2000) - Hanukkah

• Arthur’s Perfect Christmas (2000) - Christmas & Hanukkah

• The Grinch (2000) - Christmas

• A Rugrats Chanukah (1996) - Hanukkah

• Jingle all the Way (1996) - Christmas

• The Santa Clause (1994) - Christmas

• The Muppets Christmas Carol (1992) - Christmas

• To Grandmother’s House We Go (1992) - Christmas

• Home Alone (1990) - Christmas

• An American Tale (1986) - Hanukkah

• One Magic Christmas (1985) - Christmas

• A Christmas Story (1983) - Christmas

• A Mickey Christmas Carol (1983) - Christmas

• The Snowman (1982) - Christmas

• A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) - Christmas

• Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964) - Christmas

Play holiday albums from before the year 2000 only

• NSYNC - Home for Christmas (1999)

• Céline Dion - These Are Special Times (1998)

• Hanson - Snowed In (1997)

• Mariah Carey - Merry Christmas (1994)

• Amy Grant - Home for Christmas (1992)

• New Kids on the Block - Merry, Merry Christmas (1989)

• Windham Hill Artists - A Winter’s Solstice (1985)

We could go on - as I’m sure you could too, with specific traditions and inside jokes you had growing up - but these ideas and recs should help bring your pre-Y2K holiday joy back to share with your new family :) Happy holidays from Love Me Do!