Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
National
Jess Molyneux

What it was like at Christmas in the 1990s and how it has changed

The 1990s don't feel like all that long ago - but when it comes to Christmas, how we celebrate and what life is like, a lot has changed.

From the clothes we wore to the Christmas toys we played with as children, life has moved on at a rapid pace.

It was the decade when Britpop flourished, Labour swept back to power and Bill Clinton was in the White House. On Merseyside, it saw Liverpool's last league title win for years and Everton upset the odds to claim the 1995 FA Cup, while the face of Liverpool city centre was changed forever by some major developments.

READ MORE: Liverpool's Coca-Cola advert from the '80s that put a spotlight on the city

We put a call out on social media to hear about your experiences of Christmas time in the 90s - and here are just some of your memories from the most wonderful time of year.

Here, we take a look back at what Christmas was like in the 90s and how it has changed, as well as what we could do during the decade that we now miss.

The countdown begins

A Santa hat laying on a calendar next to December 25th (Getty/Michael Quirk)

While some people have gotten in the festive spirit a lot earlier in recent years, December 1 marked the start of Christmas for many children of the 90s, with the advent calendar.

There was not as much variety on offer back in the 1990s, when makeup, gin and jam advent calendars were still to be thought of. Instead, excitement behind each cardboard door was nothing more elaborate than a blob of chocolate, with a nativity picture or cartoon festive design. But still - we loved it.

If you were of primary school age during the decade, you may remember asking your parents for a handful of coppers to buy Christmas cards for the class, having a Christmas dinner in the school hall or bringing toys like the Bear in the Big Blue House or Pokemon cards into school on the last day.

The cast of the St Gregory's Church, Maghull, nativity play on December 9, 1999 (Mirrorpix)

Before camera phones existed, only cameras, disposable cameras or hired photographers would capture the annual nativity play. A few parents came armed with video cameras to capture every missed line, cry and sneeze.

And lucky enough for some - they have never been converted from VHS to DVD.

If you were a child of the 90s or had a loved one who was, you'll remember tinsel, tea towels and glitter being bought to complete angle, shepherd, wise men costumers and more. And the one child who always rocked the Baby Annabelle in the manger a bit too roughly.

Magical grottos and Christmas shopping

Church Street traders in Liverpool. December 22, 1994 (Mirrorpix)

Liverpool has always attracted thousands of Christmas shoppers to admire displays, grottos and gifts on offer.

But if you've been to Liverpool in recent times, you'll know it's changed quite dramatically and many loved shops have been lost over the years.

Back in the 1990s, Church Street was filled with market traders and Christmas shoppers would alight at Paradise Street bus station to visit now lost favourites, such as C&A and Quiggins.

Department store giant and city landmark Lewis's was still attracting the crowds while Clayton Square and St Johns Market were the popular Christmas shopping destinations long before Liverpool ONE existed.

Before online shopping, you'd venture to town to find your Christmas outfits with your parents, with generations of scousers wearing knitted or trendy outfits from the likes of Wade Smith or Ethel Austin's to match their siblings.

Parents would queue outside the old Disney shop in Clayton Square for must-have toys, such as Buzz Lightyear, and even if you didn't buy anything, rooting around the treasure trove of toys and cuddly toy mountain was always a highlight for kids of the 90s.

Liverpool also boasted some magical grottos that we wish we could bring back, from Lewis's to TJ Hughes. A festive trip to the Empire Theatre for the Christmas Panto is still a tradition for many.

After what felt like the longest day of the year, you might also be treated to a special lunch or meal at a local cafe, inside a department store or a former Wimpy's chain.

Buzz Lightyear toys at the Disney Store on Christmas Eve in Liverpool, 1996 (Mirrorpix)

Gavin McDonald said: "Going to Owen Owen with my Gran to pick out turtle toys and getting a Wimpy."

Shelly Brown commented: "Going to TJ Hughes to see Father Christmas then going to the cafe in there I loved sitting on the balcony eating sausage and chips, going the pantomime to see Peter Pan and St John’s prescient for my Christmas clothes (so many happy memories, I was very lucky ) x"

Jess Bligh posted: "Going to Lewis's grotto."

Tracy Bodell-Kerray wrote: "Getting a train into town for Thursday late night shopping!"

And Denise Fawcett said: "Ethel Austin's for our new dresses. Me and my sister always got dressed the same xx"

Christmas treats and decorations

Quality Street chocolates, spilling from their box (Joy Skipper / Getty Images)

One of the best things about Christmas is the guilt-free gorging on food, especially sweet treats like chocolate.

Almost all of us will be tucking into a selection box of choccies this festive season, and while every family have their favourite brand, the big four remain the same - Heroes, Quality Street, Roses, and Celebrations.

But some of our favourite chocolates in the selection have been discontinued in recent years - such as the Galaxy truffle - and the packaging and what's on offer inside changing dramatically since the 90s.

Everything was bigger back in the 1990s, from Goliath size selection boxes to biscuits and even Terry's Chocolate Oranges. Back then, it wasn't unusual for your nan to keep a Roses tin as a sewing kit after December too.

Before all the extravagant tree ornaments that are on offer today, many would put some of their favourite chocolates on trees as decorations. And this wasn't just a tradition of the decade, but that of years before.

Tinsel would decorate more than just the tree, being draped over thick television screens and stands, photo frames and more.

Michaela Speed commented: "Chocolates on the tree."

Siân Owen said: "The selection boxes that were in the shape of a stocking with netting on them as well as moulded plastic Christmas decorations that you’d put up on your wall. Tinsel around your picture frames/mirrors."

Much-loved Christmas films and TV that are still timeless

A Blockbuster video store in London in 2013 (Katie Collins/PA Wire)

Before the days of streaming services such as Netflix and Disney+, renting a VHS or committing to the programme listing on the main channels for the holiday season was how we got our dose of Christmas film and television.

For news and Boxing Day match scores, Teletext was extremely handy, and today's generation will never understand the novelty of heading to video rental stores such as Blockbuster to pick out which Christmas movies to watch.

Join our Liverpool memories and history Facebook group here.

Now timeless classics, the likes of Home Alone, The Muppet Christmas Carol and The Santa Clause were fairly new in the 90s.

And if you wanted to not miss a Christmas special, such as Only Fools and Horses or the Royle Family, you'd have to have a blank video or be willing to 'tape over' another to make sure you could see it.

Aside from the Queen's Speech, many families would also argue the Top of the Pops Christmas Day special was unmissable. In the 1990s, we saw the Spice Girls reach three UK Christmas number ones and perform on TOTP.

Must-have toys you were lucky enough to get your hands on

Over the years, different fashion trends, films and television have influenced the must-have Christmas toys of the year.

In the 90s, many will remember asking for some of these best sellers, or flicking through the Toys R Us or Argos catalogue to add to their list to Father Christmas.

They were the kind of gifts you couldn't imagine your own children playing with now, or that your parents had to queue up for at 6am to ensure you would get your hands on it.

Before there were apps, Xbox consoles or iPhones, most had plush toys, milk caps and interactive pets at the top of the 1990s Christmas wish-list.

In the 1990s, we saw the arrival of the Teenage Mutant Ninja (Hero) Turtles, the 8-bit Game Boy and, of course, Toy Story's Buzz Lightyear.

Under the tree, you may have found Beanie Baby's, Barbie dolls, POGS, Power Rangers, Teletubbies, a Furby, a Tamagotchi, Tickle Me Elmo and more.

You might have even got your first home computer, which in comparison to today's technology looks like something from an ancient sci-fi film.

Board games such as Who Wants to be a Millionaire? were also very popular and the Talkboy also came into existence due to a letter-writing campaign by young fans after seeing the fictional product used by Macaulay Culkin in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.

If you couldn't get your hands on a Thunderbirds Tracy Island - BBC1's Blue Peter famously ran a make-your-own segment for those unlucky enough not to bag a real one. It used items including a grocery box, newspapers and drinking straws to construct a replica.

Here are a number of your memories.

The ECHO has launched a 48-page Christmas nostalgia supplement in print. It's perfect as a stocking filler and yours for just £2.50. You can order a copy here.

Shell Whittaker New said: "All the kids in the street playing out early in the morning on our new bikes and roller skates."

Pamela Robinson posted: "Stocking with a tube of smarties , a tangerine, a whoopy cushion."

Reece Swan Connolly wrote: "All the family going to me nans on Boxing Day like every family member be that many u couldn’t move from living room to kitchen all the adults would have a massive table in the living room n all be playing poker with there penny’s 1p 2p that they saved them n the kids would be up stairs playing there new game they got for there Nintendo 64 or PS2 memory’s."

The long-awaited Christmas night out

Clubbers dancing at the 051 Club in 1992 (Mirrorpix)

For those of you who weren't children of the 1990s, some of the best memories from work or being a student was the long-awaited Christmas night out.

Whether it was an annual office party in Liverpool, or heading to your favourite pub or club across the city, memories of going out of the Christmas period in the 1990s is still remembered fondly.

Concert Square, one of the city's busiest night-time hot-spots, was unrecognisable to what it is today, and in the early 90s was a brick shed.

What are your favourite memories of Christmas during the 1990s? Let us know in the comments section below.

Cream at Nation was hugely popular, as was the Paradox, 0151, Aura, The Grafton, Quadrant Park, The Pickwick, Club Continental and The State.

While we might wish we could bring these venues back for one more night out, it's nice to remember them and the 1990s Christmas nights and during other times in the decade there that we'll never forget.

Jenny Cowd said "dancing in Flannigans" and Gary Davies posted "The State."

Receive newsletters with the latest news, sport and what's on updates from the Liverpool ECHO by signing up here

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.