‘90s Christmas Mom Traditions We Need To Bring Back
Meet me in the driveway so we can deliver Chex Mix (in festive holiday tins) to all the neighbors.
A ‘90s Christmas was pure magic — that’s all there is to it. Of course, as a millennial, a ‘90s Christmas was also my own childhood Christmas, so there’s a chance everybody who had a happy, carefree childhood remembers their Christmases as fondly. Still, you just can’t deny what the ‘90s gave us. From our working moms making sure every neighbor on the street got a tin of her famous Chex Mix (that she made from the recipe on the back of the cereal box) to the bright decorations that included twinkling lights playing Christmas songs and animatronic Santas on the fireplace, there was so much joy.
So forget the Instagram trends, let go of the urge you feel to run to TJ Maxx and pick up a whole new set of holiday doormats, and stop comparing your Christmas decorations to your neighbor’s. Lean into the spirit of these ‘90s Christmas traditions, instead. So many of them are really rooted in community and family, and I think all of us could use a lot more of that this time of year. Get to know your neighbors, drop off cookies at your kid’s school, use the same decorations you’ve used every year — don’t overthink the magic of the season. It’s there, all around us, and remembering your own ‘90s Christmas brings it even more to a twinkling, bright, festive light.
Go to the mall.
No, listen, if you have a mall near you, go there at Christmastime. Go wander into Barnes & Noble, go smell the Christmas candles at Bath & Body Works, go look at the Christmas ornaments inside Macy’s — nothing will make you feel more like a ‘90s Christmas mom than walking through a mall, past the Santa and Christmas trees, with bags in your hands. (Even if you don’t go shopping, just go for the vibes and an Auntie Anne’s pretzel.)
Don’t decorate for a trend; decorate for joy.
I don’t want to call it “tacky,” because I don’t think ‘90s Christmases were tacky — I think they were just a mixture of everything. All the things our moms loved, from colored lights mixed with white lights to big plastic blow-molds lining the driveway and twinkling lights in the bushes. Don’t decorate for a trend; just put up what you want.
Make ornaments with your kids.
Yes, even if they look crazy. Yes, even if they don’t “match” your tree’s aesthetic. Yes, even if your kids lose interest halfway through. One day, you’ll be pulling them out of the box and remembering that December afternoon you all sat at the table with popsicle sticks and a hot glue gun and made some old-fashioned Rudolph ornaments.
Go caroling.
Caroling definitely felt like more of a thing when we were kids, whether you went with your Scout troop or a group from church. But we can bring that ‘90s holiday magic. Gather some friends, get some jingle bells, and reach out to local nursing homes or senior centers to see if you can spread some holiday cheer. Bring mini treats and some handmade cards, and really get to know your community and the people in it.
Host a cookie exchange.
A good old-fashioned cookie exchange is a great ‘90s Christmas tradition, and it’s so simple. Invite some friends over, and tell everyone to make their favorite cookie recipe (enough for each person to try one) and to bring copies of the recipe. Everyone can try each other’s cookies, collect all the recipes, and at the end of the night, everyone’s got a box of cookies and will know how to make them for their own holiday gatherings.
Keep a bowl of nuts out somewhere wth a nutcracker.
It felt so deeply Christmas-y when I was a kid for my mom to have a big bowl of mixed nuts out with a nutcracker. It’s an old tradition that I never see anyone doing these days, and last year, I made it my personal mission to bring it back. A big bowl of nuts nestled into some garland and plastic holly on our coffee table? ‘90s bliss.
Wear all the Christmas sweaters.
The Christmas sweater has made a huge comeback in recent years, whether people are going for a “tacky” look or want something more modern and chic. But if you want a true ‘90s Christmas, you will load up your closet with some great jeans and Christmas sweaters. Perfect for baking, for shopping, for wrapping gifts — all the festive things.
Wear a fancy Christmas dress on Christmas Eve.
I love a fancy Christmas dress, and I feel like the ‘90s were full of fancy Christmas looks. Lace, velvet, black tights and heels — just go for it. In the ‘90s, I dreamed of being a mom just like my own, and that means gold earrings, fancy Christmas dresses, and smothering my kids in perfume hugs. Bliss.
Make homemade treats for your neighbors.
My mom kept every metal tin she ever received with a treat inside and repurposed them for our neighbors and friends during the holiday season. A box of cookies to your kid’s piano teacher or a big jar of peanut butter buckeyes to the neighbor that always checks on your cat when you’re gone is such a sweet gesture, and I loved joining my mom in the kitchen to do all of our gift baking.
Watch Freeform’s 25 Days of Christmas programming.
With the commercials and everything, OK? We had plenty of Christmas VHS tapes when we were kids, but nothing was better than simply watching whatever came on TV that night and just enjoying it. Take away some of the pressure of finding the perfect Christmas movie and lean in with the whole fam to whatever’s already playing.
Wait until after Thanksgiving to decorate.
This might be the most controversial Christmas tradition, but back in my day, Thanksgiving was the official kick-off to the holiday season. My grandparents, who were deep Christmas lovers, put up all their outdoor decor and their trees, but waited until after we had eaten Thanksgiving dinner to turn everything on. The tree lighting ceremonies all took place after Thanksgiving, and Black Friday was always a huge deal. Something about waiting for Thanksgiving to officially end before going full Christmas feels perfectly ‘90s and really helps soak in the season.
Send Christmas cards with actual messages inside.
The amount of time my ‘90s mom spent writing out Christmas cards can not be matched. But those cards were so cherished by the people who received them. It wasn’t just a list of every person she’d ever interacted with getting a mass-produced family photo of us — it was a card out of a box of pretty Christmas cards with a handwritten note from my mom inside. She wished people goodwill, told them what their friendship meant to her and our family, and promised to always be there for them. In a world where connection like that is taken for granted, this is such a sweet ‘90s Christmas tradition to bring back.
Drive around and look at Christmas lights.
Through your local town, in neighborhoods, down city streets — Christmas lights are everywhere, and you don’t have to pay for an expensive ticket to go into some immersive Christmas lights show. We love popping popcorn for the car ride and taking a thermos of hot chocolate, too. (Don’t forget the Christmas tunes.)
Take Christmas photos in front of your own Christmas tree.
Skip the expensive photoshoots. You don’t need to take family pictures in front of a Christmas tree farm you’ve never been to before or one of those little rustic greenhouses with Santa inside. Just prop up your camera, set the timer, and gather your family in front of your Christmas tree. It’s going to be the perfect photo and the sweetest memory.
Make all of the treats on the back of boxes.
You know the ones, like the Chex Mix recipe on the back of a box of Chex cereal, the original chocolate chip cookie recipe on the Nestle Tollhouse bag, or — my personal favorite — the Fantasy Fudge on the back of a jar of Jet-Puffed marshmallow creme. Fancy treats and snacks are always fun, so go back to your ‘90s childhood with some classics.
Sit down with your kids and make a Christmas list.
I know every kid just names off what they want, or we do that thing where we wander up and down the Target aisles and take pictures of things our kids point out, but I loved making my Christmas wish list. I’d sit down with paper and my favorite gel pens, writing it out and highlighting the ones I was most excited about, and then deliver it to my parents. Going analog this Christmas is always a fun choice, and list-making is top-tier kid magic.
Look at all the Christmas sales on Thanksgiving night.
So maybe it’s harder to read weekly ads than it used to be, but there was something thrilling about Thanksgiving night and poring over all of the Black Friday sales ads. We’d circle things we wanted, we’d plan out our day’s shopping routes, and we’d all just get so excited about the upcoming holiday season. Even with tighter budgets this year, it’s still fun to dream.
Make the Pillsbury seasonal cookies.
I love a good homemade cookie, but there are few things better than the Pillsbury Ready to Bake seasonal cookies. Grab a pack, get some instant hot chocolate (with extra marshmallows), and settle in for the ultimate cozy evening.
Use the same decorations you always do.
Maybe our moms got a new ornament or a fun candle each year, but for the most part, the Christmas decorations our ‘90s parents pulled out of the attic were the same ones they’d been using for years. There is so much joy and love in a tradition like that, and I don’t ever remember hearing about a ‘90s mom redoing her entire Christmas look each year because there was something new and trendy.
Help out at your kid’s classroom party.
Whether you have the time (and mental bandwidth) is obviously huge, but if you can help out with your child’s Christmas parties and school functions, it’s such a win for everybody. Maybe you can send in cookies or chicken nuggets. Maybe you can teach everyone a Christmas craft. Maybe you can just show up to drop off napkins and paper plates. Whatever you do, it won’t go unnoticed, and it will really make you feel the ‘90s holiday spirit.
