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Home Alone for Christmas: TikTok drives trend of retro celebrations
The Guardian
|December 20, 2025
Tinsel, DIY tree decorations, deep burgundy drapes - and Home Alone on VHS.
Christmas has gone retro on TikTok, and in people's living rooms. The app has reported a surge in Christmas decor videos, with an emphasis on nostalgia as users embrace festive looks from bygone eras. For younger TikTokers, that means the 1990s.
More than 8,000 videos have been posted under the hashtag #90sChristmas, celebrating a look that includes multicoloured tree lights, homemade felt ornaments and - in a post with nearly 4m views - VHS tapes of Christmas classics such as the Macaulay Culkin caper.
TikTok said Christmas decor videos had increased by 100% over the past 12 months, with commentators saying the emphasis on nostalgia reflects a need for stability in uncertain times.
This story is from the December 20, 2025 edition of The Guardian.
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