How The California Raisins Became a National Phenomenon

My grandpa LOVED the California Raisins! He used to joke that he looked just like them. When he passed away, I inherited two vintage stuffed raisins that I used to play with when I was little. They mean the world to me, and I intend on restoring them in his memory. <3

For whatever weird reason, I was a pre-teen obsessed with the Raisins! My entire bedroom was decked out in Raisin gear - curtains, bed sheets and comforter, posters, figurines, tshirts, robe, slippers……. I remember my mom being a little confused about the whole thing and why her sweet, 12 year old daughter was into these Motown fruits, but bless her heart, she bought me all the Raisin crap I wanted. ❤️

a video about the cereal mascots would be dope

I full on yelped with laughter at "grapeshit". Had to look around and make sure no one heard me lol

When I was in elementary school, it was pretty common for students to bring treats for birthdays or when they were moving away and changing schools. My family was moving, so I begged my dad to bring cookies and juice for my class. He brought boxes of raisins. I was so mad lol. But he taught the whole class how to use the empty boxes as noisemakers, so I forgave him lol.

The Vinton Christmas Special is a tradition at our house and we still have all of our Hardee's California Raisins figurines, which they also have away with their cinnamon raisin biscuits. That Christmas claymation was the reason my family and I couldn't get through a Christmas church service without cracking up. Once you've seen camels in tennis shoes singing We Three Kings, you just can't unsee it.

Glad to see this, my memories of my great grandfather in the early 1990's, a raisin farmer in Fowler, CA always include him wearing a red California raisins hat.

I loved the California Raisins growing up and I even had some of the happy meal toys. I always looked forward to watching them and as an adult couldn’t remember what their deal was but now I know! This really brought me back thank you so much! 💜

When I worked for a minor league baseball team in Central California, we did business with Sun-Maid. They have a product now that are meant to be raisin-based fruit snacks (no added sugars, no gelatin/gummy additives, etc) and they were kind enough to donate a few crates of the sour ones (which are actually pretty good, imo) for one of our kids events. The product went over pretty well (kids like sour things, who knew), BUT the best part was when I went to their HQ to pick up the product and got to see a TON of OG California Raisins merch and product and just... stuff. It was honestly really fascinating and pretty cool.

Loved the California Raisins as a kid. Had me fall in lovs with claymation. 👏🏾👏🏾🤩👏🏾👏🏾

We had the California Raisins Christmas special recorded on VHS. I remember watching it several times as a child. Ah memories.

I'm 24, and when I was growing up and would go to my grandma's house, she had a ton of toys, mostly from my mom's childhood, and there were three raisin jazz musicians action figures. I loved them and never really questioned them and then in the last few years I've been hearing about them, and it feels like an answer to a childhood question I never bothered asking

Could you do the history of vegemite/marmite, please? And why their flavour is so controversial. Curious minds would like to know.

I loved The California Raisins. Their Christmas special remains one of my favorites, up there with Charlie Brown, Rudolph and Frosty.

Without raisins, oatmeal raisin cookies would be just oatmeal cookies. This is a fact.

The California Raisins are still cool 😎 today. 😀👍

Wow, you guys are really bringing back my childhood lol. I think I had little plastic figurines of the California Raisins when I was a kid. I still don't like raisins though 🤷.

My grandmother had a big hand in these commercials! She was one of the heads of Foot-cone!! Of course during that time they didn’t mention the women who had a hand in it. She also has all of the commercials she worked on VHS! But she had hour’s and hours of commercials!

30+ years later and we still listen to “Christmas With the California Raisins” during the holidays.

I really enjoyed those commercials. Cooking-wise, I found the raisins were looked forward to when soaked overnight in sherry or brandy. Raisin bread or braids were so popular there was never any left over at potlucks.