A nostalgic Christmas video is going viral on TikTok

Are thoughts of the holidays making you very homesick right now? Christmas videos and photos of collective childhood memories from the 80s, 90s, and early aughts are going viral on TikTok — and there’s a reason why it’s happening right now.

Nostalgic holiday footage that goes viral consists of grainy, low-res footage captured on VHS camcorders or disposable cameras: children celebrating Snow Day announcements broadcast on television, families browsing now-closed toy stores such as FAO Schwarz, scenes from “A Charlie Brown Christmas” and twinkle, tinsel Christmas trees.

The nostalgic visuals combined with classic Christmas carols have struck a chord with many on TikTok, especially parents.

“Forcing my children to live like this.”
“Let’s make sure kids get that experience.”
“Kids today will never know.”
“Is it just me, or do Christmas trees not glow the same anymore?”
“I want to make the holidays as magical for my child as they were for me.”
“Before, everything had to be ‘aesthetic’, and this was just magical and joyful.”
“Let your kids experience a 90’s Christmas.”
“Can we all just recreate this for our kids?”

Why do nostalgic Christmas videos bring out our inner child?

“Feelings of nostalgia tend to increase during times of crisis,” Rachel D. Robnettassociate professor of psychology at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, says TODAY.com. For example, says Robnett, during an election or a pandemic.

“In psychology, nostalgia was originally a bad thing — a ‘disease of the mind,’ like depression and melancholy, which is rooted in the combination of homecoming and pain,” says Robnett. “Actually, the literature is more positive: it seems that nostalgia can be a stabilizing force that makes people feel comfortable. One potential reason is that it reminds us of our true selves, which is associated with increased well-being.”

She adds, “Nostalgia also reminds us of our relationships and community, which is a good way to combat loneliness.”

Universal symbolism—the songs we all know and love, traditions, and mass marketing—can make us feel part of something bigger and better.

“We have a tendency to romanticize the past and focus on the good times more than the bad,” says Robnett. “One example is childbirth – if we all remembered how hard it is, we might not have children anymore.”

Robnett separates the aforementioned “personal nostalgia” (reflections on positive memories) from “historical nostalgia,” poeticization of the time period that no one personally experienced. “Historical nostalgia — for example, when people long for life in the 1950s … can be based on dissatisfaction with the present moment,” she says.

The current craze for holiday nostalgia on TikTok is likely driven by Gen Z, those born after 1997.

“Gen Z consumes a lot of nostalgic content,” says Robnett. “They seem to see the early 2000s as a lighter, simpler time,” even though many were in diapers back then. Robnett says low-quality footage on social media reminds people of a time when “things weren’t so shiny and precise.”

If you love a vintage feel and want your kids to experience what you refer to as “the real Christmas”, enjoy!

“There’s nothing wrong with getting lost in a Christmas shot,” says Robnett. “Researchers found that people who are encouraged to feel nostalgic have a greater sense of social connection and are more likely to seek social support if they are struggling.”