Over the generations, traditions seem to come and go. Some are fleeting, while others have staying power. These are traditions that some of us can still remember from the good old days, or at least we hear stories about. They, however, are no longer our traditions. They were left to our grandparent's generation.
Hand Sewn Items
There was a time when people used to sew and make their own clothes, mostly out of necessity. When you needed something to wear, only the very wealthy could or even wanted to, head to Woolworths to get themselves a fancy outfit. Although there are still some people who have made being a seamstress a career, people in the general population generally don’t own a sewing machine, nor do they care to.
Traveling Salesmen
It isn’t that men and women don’t travel for work to sell things; it is just that they don’t knock on random people’s doors to do so. There was a time when it was safe to go from house to house, and people actually welcomed solicitors. Those days are long gone. Now, if a stranger shows up at your door, you definitely don’t answer it.
The Milkman
Nowadays, if someone leaves something on your front stoop, it isn’t safe to open it, and you definitely shouldn’t drink it. Uber Eats, however, will still deliver to your doorway, so old traditions do something get replaced by newer, fancier ones.
Penny Candy
Candy was not something that you would just pick up at the grocery store or Walmart. Candy was separated into penny candy stores where there would be barrels of various treats that kids could pick and choose. Unlike today, candy was a treat that you got very infrequently and only from specialty stores.
Vinyl Records
Just a few short decades ago, people had a large collection of vinyl albums, both singles and extended ones. When CDs came along, records became a thing of the past. Fast forward a couple of more decades and the iPod revolutionized the way that we now get our entertainment and music. That doesn’t mean that records are gone for good. There is still a growing want to return to the old way of life, which means records.
Using Iceboxes
Before the average American household had refrigeration, there was something called an “icebox.” The icebox was an insulated cooler, for all intent and purpose, that you put ice into to keep your food refrigerated. There was also a person who, much like the milkman, would deliver ice daily so that your food wouldn’t spoil.
Cloth Diapers
Cloth diapers were something that was a necessity for our grandparents. There were no such things as disposable ones. Cloth diapers are environmentally friendly, but they take a whole lot of energy. At a time when most households have two working parents, disposable diapers are a must. Although some people choose to use reusable diapers, they are not something that is the standard, and they are not the same as cloth.
Sunday Matinees
Before there was television, there was a big screen in almost every town where people went for their entertainment. Many grandparents tell a tale of how they would go to the Sunday Matinee to see the biggest blockbuster out. It was a huge treat and not something that people did all the time.
Listening to the Radio for Entertainment
There was a time when the only form of true commercial entertainment was sitting around a radio listening to what we would now call “podcasts.” Radio stations would tell stories that all would huddle around a tiny radio to hear and enjoy. Just like everyone used to tune into prime television to watch Seinfeld, there were all sorts of radio shows that had Americans sitting on the edge of their seats.
Green Stamps
When you say Green stamps now, people either mistake what you are saying for Green Cards or Food Stamps. Back in our grandparent's generation, when you shopped locally and stayed loyal, you got green stamps that you could collect to cash in for prizes and gifts. People put the stamps in a book and saved them for whatever collectible they had their eye on.
Sunday Suppers
There was a time when Sunday was reserved for downtime, family, and church attendance. Following the Sunday mass was something called “Sunday supper” or “Sunday dinner.” Not only is church attendance down since our grandparents' generation and time, but so too, are the times when the extended family had a set time to sit at a table and share a meal weekly.
Clothes Lines
People in older generations washed clothes by hand, and then once they ran them out, they pinned them to a clothesline. It is hard for most of us to imagine the amount of time or effort just washing clothes used to take. That is why our grandparents only had a handful of clothes, and they wore them many times before washing.
Thank You Cards
When someone did something nice on our grandparent's day, it was customary to send a thank you card in the mail. It wasn’t purchased at Hallmark with just a signature; it was handwritten and formal. Nowadays, it is easier to send an email, text, message, or nothing at all. A lot of the graciousness that our grandparents had is no longer the standard.
Canning and Preserving
There was a time when you could only get and eat foods that were in season locally. So people would take seasonal items and can them to preserve them. The process involved cooking the vegetables at a high heat and then adding them to a canning jar that would seal tight until it was opened and enjoyed.
Ice Cream Socials
Ice cream socials are something that some grammar schools still hold, but they are not an adult or community affair anymore. Parlors selling ice cream were the places where young people would meet other young people to enjoy one another’s company and an ice cream treat. Nowadays, people pop into ice cream stores and pop out quickly with whoever they go with only.
Quilting Bees
There were very few options for entertainment in our grandparents' day and also no machine-made blankets to keep warm. Quilting Bees were a time when women would get together and sew pieces of fabric together. They would spend time making quilts for the community. They also would talk about their families and share stories.
Using Typewriters
Many things that we take for granted took a very long time for our grandparents. If you didn’t handwrite things, you only had one option, which was a typewriter. A typewriter was the beginning of what we now call a keyboard. It was very difficult to use, however, because there was no room for errors. If you missed a key, you had to start all over.
Community Dances
Communities were much smaller and they were closer, meaning they spent more time as a community together. People were more apt to socialize with neighbors and those close by. Many formal and less formal occasions were the standard, like community dances where young people would find a mate, get married, and stay in the same community.
Parlor Games
Although poker is still alive and well, many other card games are no longer played. People would have other couples over for games in the parlor, like Penuckle, Spades, and Gin Rummy. Playing games as a source of entertainment is no longer the norm.
Putting on Your Sunday Best
Probably because of the time it took to wash clothes in your grandparent's generation, putting on your “Sunday best” is no longer a thing. People would dress up in their finest clothes to meet at the community church and quickly go home to change. Kids were not allowed to play or get dirty in their Sunday Best because they didn’t have money to have more than one good outfit each.
Repairing Socks and Shoes
In the past, stores were allocated for repairing shoes and people spent a whole lot of time using darning to sew up socks. Our grandparents' generation was not as disposable as ours, meaning they didn’t have the means to just toss and replace whatever wasn’t 100%.
Landlines or Party Lines
When phones first came out, most families only had a main line. There was also only one main circuit board for every town. People, predominantly women, would be in charge of hooking up communication from one person to the next according to their phone number. Landlines were a more modern way to communicate, but they, too, have given way to cellular phones.
Drive-Ins
Drive-ins were a favorite for our grandparents. Being at the movies, yet alone, was preferred by many people who wanted their privacy while watching a big screen. Now that everyone has streaming capabilities, they prefer the couch over the steamed-up windows and poor audio. Although a few drive-ins still exist, they are rare.
Heating Homes With Coal
Nowadays, homes either use gas, propane, or electricity to heat via furnaces, mini-splits, or heat pumps. There was a time long ago when people used coal for heating. Those days are well gone, and thankfully, because greenhouse gases are an insult to the environment.
Traditions come and go, and then some disappear altogether. As modern conveniences improve, technology takes over, and people are less community-centered, a lot of the traditions that our grandparents enjoyed are no longer enjoyable. Some of them have been replaced by other things, and others will never be, but hopefully, they won’t be completely forgotten forever.
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