RickR Posted December 8, 2015 Report Share Posted December 8, 2015 I found this kind of humorous. http://www.victoriafedden.com/widelawns/2015/12/2/christmas-in-the-70s-vs-christmas-today Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari 5200 Guy Posted December 8, 2015 Report Share Posted December 8, 2015 Christmas when I was a kid seemed so much easier. And I remember the department stores in my area would have a long table setup with toys to play with during the holiday season. Half of those, by the time I got to them, someone either already broke or there would be snack residue on them. The one item I remember getting to try that I never got (got the 5200 instead ) was a Power Wheels Train with tracks. That thing was fun but needed a lot more track! I do miss those Sears and Penny's Wish Books. Those were always filled with cool stuff. I'd be afraid to see what they would have now. My mother use to complain about game prices back when Atari, and even Nintendo, were around. I could only imagine what she would think about the price of video games today. "Hey Mom? Remember that one Atari game you got me when I was a kid? It costs over $100 now!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fergojisan Posted December 8, 2015 Report Share Posted December 8, 2015 Christmas was easier when we were kids because we didn't have to do a damn thing. I disagree with the 70s version where they wait until the second week of December to check for Christmas specials, some of them would have been broadcast by then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StormSurge Posted December 8, 2015 Report Share Posted December 8, 2015 Plus, the TV Guide only went a week out. No one was planning their December TV viewing schedule a month in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickR Posted December 8, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 8, 2015 I had an idea to reproduce those Christmas tree "spinning color wheel" things....only using LED's instead of incandescent bulbs. The bulbs made them fire hazards...but LED's don't get so hot...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlamoAtari Posted December 8, 2015 Report Share Posted December 8, 2015 I guess that's why a Christmas story was so popular in the 80s. My dad cared more about the cars in the movie than the actual movie. He laughed so hard at Ralph cursing little orphan Annie, I guess he felt the same thing. There were definitely parallels to his dad and my dad, I guess that was my draw to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rowsdower70 Posted December 8, 2015 Report Share Posted December 8, 2015 There seemed to be a lot more magic back then, but then again I was a kid. It's hard to say how much of it (for me) is times changing, or me changing. "For you - Rowsdower from the 70 - have been appointed Omnivisioner of the Game Grid." ~ Atari Adventure Square Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeeJ07 Posted December 8, 2015 Report Share Posted December 8, 2015 I like how much more booze there was in the '70s. "I'd buy that for a dollar!" -Smash T.V. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StormSurge Posted December 8, 2015 Report Share Posted December 8, 2015 I still find it magical. One of the main reasons is that I try to incorporate as much of what made it special to me as a child. For example, for the candles in our windows, we use orange lightbulbs. They were much more prevalent 30 years ago but since that's what my grandparents had in their windows, I like to do the same. I vividly remember trying to fall asleep on Christmas Eve with the orange glow from those lights lighting up the room. When I see that same glow today, I'm brought back to those wonderful times ever so slightly. There's a few other subtle things we do that helps to rekindle the magic of those fantastic Christmases as a child. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeeJ07 Posted December 8, 2015 Report Share Posted December 8, 2015 Thing is, though, even from my generation, being a '90s kid myself, Christmas has changed pretty drastically. I, too, remember an age where if you missed the Christmas specials, tough luck, you gotta wait 364 more days to see them again. There wasn't all this crazy waiting in line on Thursday evening in order to be the first person in the store on Black Friday, and Cyber Monday wasn't even a thing. We always had real trees when I was a kid, though. And frequently, we didn't even have one decorated till the week before Christmas, lol. I miss those holidays of my childhood. I agree, looking back, they seem so much simpler... "I'd buy that for a dollar!" -Smash T.V. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rowsdower70 Posted December 8, 2015 Report Share Posted December 8, 2015 I find a different magic in the season of Advent these days, and I'm okay with that too! We still have our traditions of going to the Christmas parade, taking my parents out to look at Christmas lights, watching a list of "must see" movies every year, etc. "For you - Rowsdower from the 70 - have been appointed Omnivisioner of the Game Grid." ~ Atari Adventure Square Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickR Posted December 8, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 8, 2015 For me, it was magical as a kid.. But I kind of had to force the magic one I got older. But once I got married and had kids, the magic returned times 10. Combining traditions with my wife and making the magic happen for kids is what did it. For my own kids, there was usually a game system under the tree. Gameboy Color, Gameboy Advance, GameCube, Wii, 360, PS3, PS4... I spoil with no regrets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StormSurge Posted December 8, 2015 Report Share Posted December 8, 2015 I will ALWAYS have a real tree. I go to the same farm my father used to take me too & saw the tree down myself. If the time comes where I can't have a real tree, I'll go without one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rowsdower70 Posted December 8, 2015 Report Share Posted December 8, 2015 For me, it was magical as a kid.. But I kind of had to force the magic one I got older. But once I got married and had kids, the magic returned times 10. Combining traditions with my wife and making the magic happen for kids is what did it. For my own kids, there was usually a game system under the tree. Gameboy Color, Gameboy Advance, GameCube, Wii, 360, PS3, PS4... I spoil with no regret Definitely one thing we missed out on by not having kids! I bet that has been magic. "For you - Rowsdower from the 70 - have been appointed Omnivisioner of the Game Grid." ~ Atari Adventure Square Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlamoAtari Posted December 8, 2015 Report Share Posted December 8, 2015 My grandma told me and my family about how they used to have candles on the trees when she was a kid. Talk about fire traps. Her grandmother was so afraid of the chance of fire that she sat by the tree with a bucket of water in case it did happen. Another thing that you don't see anymore is those bubble lamps on the trees. I guess it was the same thing as the candles. I remember my cousin's house had them and I would sit there and watch the little bubbles go up the little glass tube. I think that the bulbs would overheat and start to melt the wires and cause fires that way. Popcorn garland, I haven't seen that in years either. I remember my mom tried to make a set once and kept cursing as she pricked her finger over and over again. That year we got the fake popcorn garland during the close out sales. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StormSurge Posted December 9, 2015 Report Share Posted December 9, 2015 We put the bubble lights on our tree! I'll share a picture later when I'm not on my phone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtariBrian Posted December 9, 2015 Report Share Posted December 9, 2015 I like how much more booze there was in the '70s. Plenty of Booze and my house!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeeJ07 Posted December 9, 2015 Report Share Posted December 9, 2015 I have always wanted to decorate a tree with bubble lights. "I'd buy that for a dollar!" -Smash T.V. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StormSurge Posted December 9, 2015 Report Share Posted December 9, 2015 As promised, photos of the bubble lights. Once we decorate our tree, I'll take a better picture. This one is from last year. (I also have a bubble light night light, I'll get a shot of that. Better yet a video so you can see the bubbles!) Here's a crappy shot of the orange lights in the windows: And finally two other things from my childhood Christmases that I had to have. A ceramic tree & the little spinny chimes that spin when you light the candles: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StormSurge Posted December 10, 2015 Report Share Posted December 10, 2015 As promised... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickR Posted December 10, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 10, 2015 I gotta tell you...I've never seen one of these bubble lights before! It looks awesome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StormSurge Posted December 10, 2015 Report Share Posted December 10, 2015 They're even better looking once you see them on the tree. Hopefully I'll have that up by the weekend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickR Posted December 13, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 13, 2015 Maybe we should have a separate thread for cool retro ornaments. We are decorating our tree today...check these out: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StormSurge Posted December 14, 2015 Report Share Posted December 14, 2015 Those are great Rick!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.