No other time of the year inspires nostalgia [1] quite like the holiday season [2]. You go home to your parents' house, sleep in your old bedroom, and forget about real-life responsibilities for a while. And as a child of the '90s [3] — which is, in my opinion, the best decade (sorry, '80s babies) — I can safely say that this time was like no other [4] for the holidays. The last decade before technology really exploded [5] was epic in every way. Not only did it produce some of the most iconic Christmas songs and movies (Mariah Carey [6]'s "All I Want For Christmas Is You," anyone?), but ugly holiday sweaters were actually stylish and you had no choice but to do all your shopping at the mall. To see how else the holidays are drastically different today than they were in the '90s, keep reading.
You Made Your Lists by Looking Through Actual Catalogues
After spending hours thumbing through catalogues to make your wish lists, orders would have to be placed over the phone to an actual person. No same day delivery here.
You'd Have to Get Your Holiday Movie Fix From Blockbuster
Sure, now we have holiday movies on demand starting in October, but remember the magic of navigating a bustling Blockbuster to find that one holiday movie you've been dying to watch only to grab their last available one? That is a true '90s Christmas miracle.
You'd Capture the Moment With a Disposable Camera
Back before everyone could take amazing pictures of the dinner spread or snap holiday selfies with their phones, disposable cameras or Polaroids were the only way to document the holiday season. Waiting for them to get developed was half the fun.
There Weren't Any Apps to Let You Book Time With Santa
If you wanted to meet Santa, there wasn't an easy way out. You had to wait in line like everyone else, hoping the kids in front of you didn't take too long.