Friday, December 30, 2022

Pick-n-Pay New Year's Eve Ad – Dec. 26, 1962

Does your menu for New Year's Eve (or Day) include special items in honor of the occasion?

In the Brady household during the 1960s and 70s, shrimp cocktail (with the horseradish sauce of course) was the once-a-year guilty pleasure at our little family party. But I don't remember the New Year's Day fare consisting of pork roast and sauerkraut, which is a tradition for many.

You won't find pork and sauerkraut in this Pick-n-Pay ad that ran in the Journal on December 26, 1962 either. It stresses 'party foods,' including various lunch meats, cheese, Vienna sausage, egg nog, sardines and – appropriately enough – Alka-Seltzer.

I like the clip art of the celebrants, with their party hats and noise makers. 

Mom and Dad used to keep some of those on hand for my siblings and me when we were kids. The plan was to keep us occupied (and awake) during the evening by working on an elaborate puzzle. At midnight, we let loose with the noisemakers as the ball dropped in Times Square on TV, but shortly after that it, it was off to bed with us. 

8 comments:

Ken said...

Happy New Year Dan

Anonymous said...

Happy New Year!

Was Pick-n-Pay the store where you write the prices on the items (I remember cans?) in black crayon? I have very early memories of doing that with my dad at one of the stores at Westgate...

Theresa

Don Hilton said...

Daniel!

We did the shrimp cocktail thing over in my neck of N.W. Pennsyltucky, too!

No special meal on New Year's Eve or New Year Day. Those were declared "cook's day off" by Mum and Dad sure as heck wasn't going to do it.

We ate snacks and cheese and veggies and candy for both Eve and Day. That made it all the more special for us kids. Also made a couple of us sick a couple of times, but it wasn't like we weren't being warned....

Buster said...

That's quite a lineup of foods in the Pick-n-Pay ad. I would not eat most of them - and think the luncheon meats are particularly gross - but I do like the "Buster Mixed Nuts"!

Anonymous said...

That Chef-Boy-Ar-Dee pizza mix sounds good.I still make one from time to time just like the good old days.In the kits of today they quit giving you the little packets of cheese.So all you are getting now is the pizza dough and a can of pizza sauce.You have to supply your own cheese and pepperoni.

Dan Brady said...

Buster, I laughed out loud (as the saying goes) after I read your comment about those same-named nuts!

Dan Brady said...

Also, if I remember correctly, the name of the grocery store chain at Westgate where you marked the prices on the items yourself was Edwards Food Warehouse.

Anonymous said...

Thanks. I realized asked the exact same question 4 years ago on here - oof!