These days, smoking cigarettes is majorly frowned upon due to all of our modern knowledge of how it negatively affects our health. But back when boomers were young, it wasn’t uncommon to share a box of candy cigarettes with your six-year-old friends.
As far as candy is concerned, they were disgusting, with a chalk-like flavor and texture. But it wasn’t really about the flavor, was it? It was all about the aesthetics and the feel.
Jell-No
Although there are some things that shouldn’t ever be served in gelatin form, boomers were in the experimental phase of Jell-O.
If you find a cookbook from the ‘60s or ‘70s, you can bet it’s going to have some weird type of ham, vegetable, or fish gelatin mold in it! Thankfully, our palates have evolved, and there aren’t as many cookbooks in circulation that are promoting ham and gelatin crossovers!
Witnessing the Signing of the Civil Rights Act
Some boomers may have been too young to remember, but President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the act into effect in 1964, in a landmark move that outlawed discrimination based on race, color, national origin, or religion.
And, although they didn’t necessarily have anything to do with the signing or passage of the act itself, they were definitely feeling the effects of it in a rapidly changing world.
Wearing Coonskin Caps
Ala David Crockett. This crazy hat is not so common these days - thankfully. This fifties fad was particularly popular among rambunctious little boys fad of the fifties who all wanted to be the famed Crockett from the 1954 Disney miniseries.
The Disney show seriously drove coonskin sales up to a point, $100,000,000 in sales to be exact. All you needed was a play rifle and a coonskin hat. Oh, the power of Disney.
Hanging Out At the Drive-In
Technically the first drive-in theater was opened in 1933, but it didn't actually take off until the 50s. Probably because of the little war in between. When it did, the theaters were packed to the brim with folks, especially teenagers.
We've all seen "Grease," haven't we? Drive-ins were also a great place for young love to blossom. The movie-watching experience was great too, of course!