9 Sunday Traditions That Make Us Wish We Were Kids Again

Sundays used to have a very different meaning for us as kids growing up. Take a trip down memory lane at how we used to spend this special day.

Sundays had on a whole different tempo when we were kids. They weren’t days for shopping or for running around. You were with your family and your community all day. We have some very good memories of Sundays spent reading after a busy morning and a big meal. Sundays have changed dramatically from what we grew up with. Nowadays, there’s less emphasis on community and the Sunday meal might even be a delivered pizza. Take a look back with us at how we remember Sundays from the good old days!

Sunday Best

Via/ State Archives of Florida

Do kids even own Sunday clothes anymore? We did and our folks were very strict on what we were to wear and how to wear it. Shoes had to be polished, socks and dresses white, dress shirts ironed and all the other details correct. There was no fudging this one, though there were times when we had to make do with a stain or something too small until we could get new clothes. But, we tried our best to look good for Sunday church.

Going to Church

Via/ Library of Congress

It wasn’t optional back then. You went to church every Sunday. The sermons were often serious and Sunday school was a dedicated routine. We learned so many fun songs and played fun games there! We’d all stand around afterwards outside the church and talk with our fellow parishioners for a long time.

No Chores

Via/ Flickr

The bare minimum of work was to be done on Sundays, the chores were supposed to have been done by Saturday. Of course, some things couldn’t be avoided and each house had a different idea of how much work you could or should do. But, for the most part, we honored the Sabbath day.

Sunday Dinner

Via/ Library of Congress

I know some people’s mom’s made as much as possible ahead of time to avoid working on Sundays, but in our house, making a tasty meal on Sunday was a big deal. We all wanted to help out with what would be the best meal of the week. I remember those biscuits like it was yesterday!

Visitors

Via/ Flickr

Folks seemed to be dropping in all day to visit. Extra bread or biscuits would be made to accommodate the extra people. Sunday was a day for leisurely visiting.

Sunday Drive

Via/ Flickr

Yes, sometimes we really did just go for a drive on Sunday afternoons. We’d pile into the car. Sometimes we’d drive in town and other times we would pick a country road and travel it until we got bored or hungry.

Sunday Paper

Via/ Library of Congress

Our folks would always sit down with the Sunday paper at some point. Dad especially relished this. Eventually, the pages would be split up and we’d finally get the funnies. There was something so comforting about knowing that if we ever needed to find Dad, he’d be sitting there with the paper.

Sunday Matinee

Via/ Library of Congress

Every once in a while, our folks might have taken us to a Sunday matinee. The choices were almost always something kid-friendly and wholesome and we loved this rare treat!

Sunday Night

Via/ Flickr

Sunday night was all about Walt Disney Presents (years later it was called the Walt Disney Sunday Movie). We would get so excited about this last bit of fun before we had to get ready for bed and for school the next day.

Things sure have changed. There may be a few of these traditions that have remained in some families, but most of these routines have gone the way of the dodo bird, especially the Sunday newspaper. We miss seeing friends and family every Sunday for those long visits, too! Did your family have a particular Sunday tradition? Let us know in the comments.

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