We Asked Parents, What Is One ‘90s Winter Memory You’re Recreating With Your Kids? |
Growing up in the 1990s has increasingly become a shared point of nostalgia. It appears often now, across social media, in conversations, in passing references to a time that feels collectively familiar but difficult to define. There is something that seems to connect people who grew up then, even if their childhoods unfolded in different cities, climates, and homes.
It comes from growing up before everything was documented, before memories were curated for an audience, before childhood unfolded online.
Winter, in particular, had a way of structuring life, slowing it down, changing how days were spent, shaping traditions that returned year after year.
Perhaps that is why so many parents today find themselves returning to those memories. In an effort to ensure that pre-social media memories are not lost, we pass on non-digital traditions in small, deliberate ways. With that in mind, I asked parents about their winter memories from the 1990s and how they are recreating them for their children today.
For Sanchari Pal, winter in Goa was defined by two constants: Christmas at home and long days outdoors.
“Growing up in Goa, I have two core winter memories,” she says. “My sister and I are setting up our own Christmas tree at home. As we’d dig through our boxes of ornaments, we’d see more than tiny figures. We’d see memories, remembering which ones came into our lives at which time. And finally, there was that wondrous joy of having put up a super pretty tree we could be proud of.”
The second memory unfolded by the river.
“Winter picnics under the riverside trees in Chorao, Aldona or Betul village. Ma would pack a colourful mat, our trusted old hammock and a big basket of goodies from local bakeries—poi sandwiches, bolinhas, pastries and lemonade,” she recalls. “My sister and I would grab our favourite books, frisbee and Uno, and we’d be set for the most awesome day under the winter sun!”
Today, Sanchari lives in Chandigarh. Goa is no longer her everyday geography, but the rhythm of those winters remains.
“Every winter, we set up our Christmas tree in our Chandigarh home — it’s amazing to see the same wonder in her eyes!” she says, referring to her daughter. “And our........