Family life in the seventies had plenty of little rituals that seemed completely ordinary at the time. Weekends often revolved around routines that brought everyone together, and many of them did not require much money or planning. They were simply things families did because that was how the household worked.
Some of those habits have quietly disappeared as technology, schedules, and everyday life have changed. A few may still feel familiar, especially for anyone who grew up during the decade, while others are hard to imagine becoming part of a family’s routine today. Looking back at them is a fun reminder of how much family life could revolve around the simplest things. Let’s dive into 20 Family traditions from the seventies we barely do anymore.
1. Traditional ’70s road trips
Families commonly embarked on long road trips, stopping to camp along the way and enjoy the journey. Without the convenience of GPS, they relied on maps and made spontaneous stops for snacks at quirky roadside attractions—a tradition that has since become a thing of the past.
2. Sunday family dinners
Families would gather every Sunday for large, home-cooked meals, often featuring roast meats, mashed potatoes, and other comforting dishes. This tradition has since become a thing of the past.
3. Canning vegetables
Families in the ’70s knew the importance of passing down important knowledge. This included canning vegetables from the home garden, a skill we’ve since deemed unnecessary.
4. Handwritten letters
There’s something so personal about receiving a handwritten letter. Receiving a happy birthday text is nowhere near as special as getting a letter from a loved one.
5. Having a family photographer
In the ’70s, families often had one member who was the designated family photographer. With the rise of the cell phone, everyone is a photographer today.
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6. Home videos
Looking back at hours of home footage from the 1970s is truly fascinating. The aunt or uncle who always carried around a bulky video camera was the life of every party. However, with smartphones now capturing everyday moments with ease, home videos are slowly becoming a thing of the past.
7. Making homemade ice cream
It’s extremely easy to walk to any grocery store and buy some ice cream for $5, but there was something beautiful about families using a hand-cranked ice cream maker together.
8. Christmas caroling
While this still happens here and there, be happy it isn’t happening as it did in the ’70s. People could carol outside your house all day unless you gave them a gift of some sort. Today, that’ll get the cops called.
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9. Handmade gifts
Receiving a homemade rocking horse or chair would still be an amazing gift today. Unfortunately, it isn’t all that popular when buying it from the store is so convenient.
10. Physical discipline
Getting a belt to the rump wasn’t uncommon in the ’70s; in fact, in some cases parents were encouraged to discipline their children this way. Obviously today, we discipline children with a little more grace.
11. Baking homemade bread
Getting a loaf of bread at the store for $2 is all too easy, but something is amazing about a warm homemade slice of bread. It may take a little more effort, but the outcome is worth it.
12. Pen pals
Before social media, kids maintained friendships with decorative letters. Children could write all their thoughts and emotions out on a sheet of paper, decorate it, and send it to a friend.
13. Lemonade stands
These $.05 cups of lemonade were way more important than parents realized. These lemonade stands would test children’s abilities in entrepreneurship, teaching valuable business skills to the kids involved.
14. Family skating trips
During the winters in the ’70s, ice skating was a popular family activity. Going to a pond or local outdoor rink is slowly becoming a thing of the past.
15. Going to the local pool
While local pools still exist, many are slowly starting to close due to a lack of use. Backyard pools are so popular now that public pools are dying.
16. Family bike trips
In the ’70s, families would often go on weekend bike rides with whatever they could carry on their backs. This gave families a chance to explore local parks and trails.
17. Lighting fireworks at home
Fireworks were a fun and exciting tradition that families had the right to do at their own houses. But since so many accidents occurred, certain safety regulations have been put in place, leaving the fireworks to the professionals.
18. Watching the news together
Watching the news to check on the weather was a must, especially when waiting to see if there was a snow day. Today, kids can wake up to check their weather app, and they’ll receive a text if school is canceled.
19. Going to the drive-in
While drive-ins still exist, in the ’70s they were visited religiously. Visiting the local drive-in weekly was a must in many households, but with streaming services having virtually every movie ever, drive-ins are starting to fail.
20. Postcards
While some people still do this today for aesthetics, in the ’70s, it was how you contacted people while traveling. You wouldn’t hear from your brother for months, and all of a sudden, you’d see a postcard from Mexico in the mail.
