Do You Remember These Lost American Traditions?

American Traditions

Tradition is an interesting thing. Sometimes it seems like a deeply ingrained part of our culture. Just think about Thanksgiving without Turkey or Christmas without a tree. However, as deeply connected to our national identity as many customs are, time has a way of changing everything. Cheapism posted an insightful list of 23 American traditions that are left to the history books. We have included a few below that we remember even if society has forgotten them.

Community Cookbooks

In the past, community cookbooks were very common. Church groups, PTAs, and others would collect favorite recipes from members to fundraise or to commemorate a special event. Today, however, people are more likely to find their recipes through Google. Furthermore, if you want to share that old family recipe, you’ll probably use email, text, or social media.

Taking Pictures and Waiting to See Them

Decades ago, we couldn’t have imagined that everyone would be walking around with supercomputers in their pockets. Smartphones, of course, take pictures that are instantly viewable. Younger generations can’t understand we used to spend our vacations snapping photos that we wouldn’t see until weeks later when we got the film developed. 

Catching a Can’t-Miss TV Show 

Much like what smartphones and digital cameras have done to photography, the advancement of streaming has changed the way we watch TV. Today, most people prefer to binge-watch shows. They watch them whenever they want and pause if they need. In the past, we had something we called “Appointment TV.” If we weren’t in front of the television set at 7:00 and missed our favorite show, we just, well, missed it.

Loading Up the Station Wagon and Heading to the Drive-In

Back in the day, going to the drive-in was about as American as you could get. Loading up the family or a group of friends in the old station wagon to catch a double feature was a popular way to spend summer. Sadly, these days are gone. 

While we don’t necessarily agree with Cheapism that all of the American traditions on their list are “gone forever,” it’s definitely worth a read. Check out all 23 below. 

If you enjoy this kind of nostalgic look back, check out our blog and follow The Greatest Generation on Facebook and Twitter for the latest posts and updates. 

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