I guess it depends what you prefer, I like having a huge selection of food and drinks, I like the long build-up, I like giving and receiving lots of presents, I like that there's more money to go around, I like the Xmas music and I like having a huge choice in what I can watch on TV.

To me these 60's Christmases seem a little bit boring in comparison.

Haha Who needs a wall between the kitchen and dining-room anyway!

I'm 29 and grew up in the 90s, my memory of it was that yes it was commercialised but it wasn't to the extent it is now! its just getting stupid. I dont remember Christmas ads on the TV till very late November, shops etc didn't put decorations up till also late November, early December I liked it all like that, everything seemed to flow nicely. Now these days you go into the supermarket in a pair of shorts in August and start to see Christmas cards! ads on telly come on in September and the shops start putting decs up in October sometimes before Halloween so its a mix of Xmas and Halloween. Dont get me started on those idiots who put their decs up in October, couple of my neighbours did it looked so daft.

I was also a 60s child and i am not sure i recognise your xmas. My dad never muttered about Wizzard or Slade because he wasnt a time traveller. I can remember driving my mum mad when the xmas adverts came on tv especially the toys. Xmas has always been commercialised and to say it hasnt is just denying the obvious

Not as bad as when Easter eggs go on sale on boxing day, who buys them four months early.

Of course it has. Always. I mean, who buys a newborn baby gold, frankincense and myrrh, for God's sake?!

We used to make a lot of things in the Seventies and Eighties from clothes to Christmas decorations. We also grew a lot of vegetables.

People do.

What does that have to do with the thread title?

People dont for one simple reason, Easter eggs do not go on sale Boxing Day

Oh yes they do

I don't think it was as commercialised when I grew up in the late 80's early 90s. Adverts for Christmas didn't tend to be on to the end of November back then. And the shops kept heir Christmas decorations up until nearly the new year. These days I see them being taken down on Christmas Eve.
Also on boxing day there were very few shops open on boxing day.

No they dont. You may see the caramel eggs, or even an easter bunny shortly after xmas but you will not see , kitkat/ mars etc easter eggs on Boxing day

How do you know what mintbro sees? Unless you live where they do then you wont know what the shops near them have on display.


I always hated boxing day as I knew all the summer holiday adverts came onto the TV that day.. Don't know if they still do but, they did years ago.

When you make or grow things you are not buying into the "latest thing" the "latest thing" is commercialism

I also used to make my own decs and grow my own veg so would not be hunting down the the "latest" Christmas dec idea or must buy that veg and cook it like the advert .

Many people now buy different decs every year. I belong to loads of DIY and craft groups and so many people think posting your latest tree with bought items, a DIY or craft project.

The tree was always for the kids and you didn't have a "adult tree" till they were grown. Now the tree has to be a work of art and the decs the kids make are put out of sight. Someone on a group was moaning the other day as her 3yo some kept playing with the train she had going round her tree. .. Really??

agreed its about scale. all i can do is compare and whilst crimbo has always had some level of commercialism, in the 60's it was so minor it went practically unnoticed.

the op was comparing today with the 90's... to draw the conclusion that its always been commercial. but that suggests its always been at this level.... it hasnt.



yeah.... the point about slade and wizzard is the way these songs have been hijacked and used in shops, tv adverts and programs, repeated on radio to whip up crimbo hysteria. that didnt happen in the 60's, shops played carols at best.

tv adverts didnt start in late september, it was never whipped up into the hysteria it is now. there was far less money...

of course there was some commercialisation, but in comparison to today it was very very little.