Gen Xers will never forget the 'magic' of malls during Christmas in the 1980s

Emily Shiffer
Wed, 03 Dec 2025 01:38:20 +0000
Christmas, Christmas shopping, Mall, Shopping at the mall, Gen x, Gen xers, Gen x christmas, 1980s christmas, 80s christmas, 1980s mall, 80s mall, Nostalgia, Nostalgic christmas, Holiday shopping, Holiday season, Christmas mall

Christmas shopping is the main event of the holiday season, and for Gen Xers (those born between 1965-1980), hitting the local mall to get gifts was the ultimate experience.

Back in the 1980s, malls were filled with people hustling and bustling at the holidays, and during Christmastime, malls were decorated to the nines with over-the-top holiday decor to welcome shoppers.

On Reddit, Gen Xers got nostalgic about Christmas shopping at the mall during the '80s. One Gen Xer noted, "I’m sorry for those of you who never got to experience the joy of a mall during Christmas in the 1980s. It was a magical time."

@nostalgiapostss
Everybody just seems so relaxed. #80 #80saesthetic #80sthrowback #nostalgia #nostalgic #nostalgiacore #era #christmas #shoppingspree #christmashopping #1980s #1980 #mall #80small

Gen Xers described the overall ambiance and how malls today can't compare. "Every store in the mall was open. The center hall was stuffed with kiosks and the occasional new car. Every square inch was fully decked out for Christmas. Now our mall looks like a setting for a horror movie," one commented.

A fellow Gen Xer added, "I remember Christmas shopping all afternoon, grabbing dinner, and then waiting in line to see Rocky IV, all at the mall. Malls were so alive back then. It didn’t even feel like Christmas until you had seen the beautifully decorated, bustling shopping mall."

Gen Xers agreed that department stores really went all-out. "Marshall Field's and Carson Pirie Scott (Carson's) in Chicago had Christmas window displays and the decorations inside FELT like Christmas. Trees, garlands, ornaments covered the store. They also sold hot chocolate inside. We went nearly every year when I was a kid. Streets were crowded and if a window was really good, it almost had a line," one shared.

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Stores themselves were also different. "I just miss being able to buy stuff and they would put it in a gift box with tissue paper. I'm not even talking about the gift wrap counter. Just any store if you said it was a gift, would box it for you," another Gen Xer noted.

Others discussed what it was like to battle the crowds. "I remember early to mid 80s, the mall was packed shoulder-to-shoulder with shoppers during the holidays - especially after 5pm to when the mall closed at 9pm," one Gen Xer wrote.

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Another noted, "I remember not even being able to get in the mall because every parking space was full and the traffic at every red light was backed up for half a mile. Then you get to the Food Court and everything is packed. You’re standing in a 15 person deep line for a piece of pizza, if you’re lucky. Most of the time my parents were like, 'we’ll just eat when we get out of here'."

Although some Gen Xers prefer online shopping these days, many still miss Christmas at the mall. "I love being able to shop via the internet... But I will be damned if I don't miss the Christmas decors and all the people walking around just enjoying their consumerism being on full display. It was super fun as a kid to run in between all the shops," one shared.