Blue Cavern

Yesterday I got a package of goodies. As I was entering the item in my computer, I noticed the 40th anniversary was in 1998. Which I already knew. However one Mcdonald's item that shows the 25th anniversary toys was printed in 1996. Was Mcdonal's late in celibrating the 25th anniversary, or are they celibrating something else?

Thought I would post a couple of pic's of the goodies.

Nive goodies Bill!
Maybe they were celebrating the 25th anniversary of McD in the Netherlands?

I think Sandra is correct,

according to this item, they were celebrating 25 years of McDonalds

Mcdonal's in much older than that. I remember going there as a kid. Mcdonald's has to 50 or so now. 1996 was 15 years ago, but that would still make them about 35 then.

I just googled Mcdonald's they started in 1954 which makes them 57 years old. In 1996 they would have been 42.

I suspect that they were celebrating 25 years of being in Europe at the time as I think the German leaflets have 25 years on them too if I remember rightly.

Wasn't the smurf holding the McDonalds 'M' on the number '25' made especially for that reason?

I have no clue what the 25 is for. I never really noticed that the Mcdonald 25th and the Smurfs 40th were two years apart until this morning. I had always figured the 25th was celibrating 25 years of Smurfs. But I'm pretty sure that is not correct now.

I agree, Tojo....McDonalds has been around longer in the in the US but they haven't been around that long in Europe yet.

25 years from 1996 would put them at opening their first store in Europe around 1971 which could be correct.

Absolutely correct Maureen!

Thank you everyone for your help. Ok now I have another question. In the second pic is 4 Smurfs I am pretty sure these are fakes, as they are a really hard PVC. Where are they from. If you need better pic's I can do that.

Hi

Yes in 96 McDonalds in Germany gave away this set of smurfs.
Just a few months later they were in Holland to.
Because of the 25 birthday of the McD.

About a year ( or two, i am not sure ) later the McD in the UK wanted to give out these smurfs to, but since in the UK McD didn't exist 25 years they had to make another smurf.
The McD with the McD box came out instead.

I remember because that was the year we ( family ) started to collect smurfs.

Tintin

Very interesting Frank I didnt know