MNHQ HERE: What do you pack into a ‘Christmas Eve Box’?

I do the Christmas Eve box straight after dinner so it's the activities for the rest of the evening

New pjs
Their stockings so they can hang them up
The 'Santa plate' that has a space for carrot, mince pie and drink
Christmas bath bomb
Christmas story book
Reindeer food
Hot chocolate

I say probably...I definitely won’t do the pants

Stuff like this seems to reflect society and it's changing trends. Time and activity is placed by quick fixes and money.

Families live further apart, work right up to and including Christmas. Those days of the house being filled with family and friends and a box of Quality Street seem long gone replaced by a soul less elf and a box of tat created by children in countries that don't or can't celebrate

duchess

I probably won’t do the pants

Nothing, have never done one, will never do one. Just not my thing. I totally agree with the poster who said Christmas Eve should be about anticipation rather than gratification, sums it up completely.

When DC believed, putting up stocking, carrot for Rudolph, talking about the magic etc was enough. Now we just enjoy our favourite easy dinner, watch a Xmas film or listen to tunes/carols while prepping etc. It's lovely and best of all - free!

I don't think any parent should feel like they "should have to" do a Xmas Eve box. Fine if you want to, but fine if not too.

We have never done Christmas Eve boxes, but they seem to be a fairly recent phenomenon and weren't really a thing when our dc were small.

Obviously we do still leave out a mince pie, tot of whisky and a carrot for FC and R.

@LilyMumsnet do you acknowledge that by posting this thread with the assumption that people will be doing this that you're putting more pressure on parents, both in terms of buying things and having to live up to a ridiculous fabricated social-media-friendly ideal?

I don't see how that fits in with the spirit of the site which is meant to be about making parents lives easier

@Gottheteeshirtandlostit

Nothing. The very idea gives me the rage. Christmas Eve is about anticipation not gratification!!!

Agree completely .

it's funny how in so many different religions people have kept the traditions that mean they get to stuff their faces, go to parties etc. but have completely jettisoned the ones where you have to to restrict or deny yourself something.

so they'll stuff themselves throughout December because of Christmas but they won't observe Lent.

I'm Jewish and there is a similar thing where people will join in with the fun festivals where you get to eat while not observing the tough ones where you have to fast!

religion and ritual is supposed to be about balancing the two sides of indulgence and denial, not just one indulgence after another

So many questions.

@RufusthebewiIderedreindeer have I read your post correctly? you're going to give Christmas underpants, a gingerbread man and a chocolate coin to a 23-year old man to whom you are not even related?

@EggysMom I love your idea of a Christmas Eve box being a box of things you are giving away. my kids regularly do bags of stuff for the charity shop but this is so much more appropriate than more twee, nauseating, consumerist, junk food crap.

Nothing

The idea of sachet "hot choc" and lush bath bombs does nothing for any of us.

More pressure on parents to make memories and feel blessed

Never heard of it till I read about it on here, but won’t be setting a precedent for buying more stuff.

Oh MN don't ever change.

The rampant consumerism/diluting the magic/it's a new fad/not in THIS house stuff is obligatory on these threads so I will add my stock response too.

My Granny who was Victorian did it too so it is a tradition in this house.

It doesn't cost me a thing as here it's about leaving baked goods, a letter and the stockings/Christmas Eve books on the hearth. I have added in a few other things like a homemade hot chocolate sachet and reindeer food (oats and seeds). Neither cost me anything though.

It isn't diluting the magic unless the sole focus of YOUR Christmas is gift giving and you're particularly short sighted and reductive and in that case, then have your judgement and pity back in spades. I jest (mostly) as I don't feel the need to judge other people for being different. However, I don't celebrate a Christmas that is solely wonderful due to vast present giving on the 25th. We buy very little and the day itself is not focused on this. Likewise, it is not just a day for us, it is a season of goodwill so I am afraid we have traditions which take place on various days throughout the period. This dilutes nothing and contributes to the overall feeling of the festive season.

And finally, I don't give a shiny shite if on Christmas Eve people spend their entire annual income on a jewel encrusted chest stuffed full of cash which is imported from Dubai and dragged in by the cast of Les Miserables, while Elton John plays the fucking flute. Their money, their choice.

A new Christmas tree ornament

We don't have separate boxes as we are a large family we have a big bag. But in that goes Christmas pyjamas, a book, a DVD, some treats and maybe a family game. Last year I bought Christmas monopoly for the older children and husband to play while I watched a Christmas DVD with the youngest.

I also put in a baking kit or some Christmassy cookie cutters so we can bake together on Christmas Eve.

Nothing, it's a torrent of consumerism as is, and we are trying to enjoy it as family time rather than in terms of stuff.

The night before Christmas book, a bath bomb, door hangers (Santa stop here for x type). Santa’s mince pie plate. Pjs, and the Santa key declarations for the tree.

Nothing. The very idea gives me the rage. Christmas Eve is about anticipation not gratification!!! Every year since the DCs were tiny we have had the same routine. An easy dinner, put out stockings, make something for Santa and the reindeers to eat, watch Santa approaching via Norad, and each kid has a 'special' book of their choice that only gets read on Christmas Eve. Mine are now in their late teens and they STILL want that same routine - even down to my big, tough, eighteen year old son having his annual read of Santasaurus. You don't need to buy more shite to make Christmas special.

Nothing. Presents are for Christmas Day here and in this household it's staying that way.

And it’s rare that the pjs are Christmas themed, but even if they are, they get well worn all winter.

New:
PJs for everyone
Hot chocolate (the lump of chocolate on a wooden spoon type usually) - a different one for everyone
Lush festive bath bombs each for DD and I (and a nice shower gel for DH if we find one)
Christmas beer for DH (he likes a good craft beer)

Old favorites used every year:
DD’s stocking
Plastic plate and glass with Santa on them (toddler ones, for his snack)
Snowman covered hot water bottle
‘‘Twas the night before Christmas

The ONLY things that are only for Christmas Eve are the stocking and DDs bath bomb and hot choc - the rest are used multiple times over the season (old favs) or as and when we get a chance on the consumables (I might get my bath the night before back to school/work!).

Ours only comes out after dinner and is part of winding down for bed and a good sleep. So no craft or dvds in it - lots of others have theirs during the day to keep DCs occupied while they crack on with prep but we drag dd into that in our house! (Slavedrivers us! 🤣🤣)

We were always allowed to open one present growing up on Christmas eve and they were always pyjamas. I do the same for my children but stick them in a box with some hot chocolate sachets, some marshmallows and some bubble bath (a rubber duck for my toddler who has extremely sensitive skin). It's not anything I wouldn't usually get in for Xmas anyway and it is a nice tradition to do with my kids so I can't get worked up about it.

Absolutely nothing. And I think this is yet more commercial pressure on hard pressed parents to waste even more money, and extend the already excessive Christmas presents to a further day, winding up over excited and spoiled children and obscuring the whole meaning of Christmas.
For my own family, Christmas Eve is the day we spend preparing to celebrate the birth of Christ. We listen to Carols from Kings, make our chestnut Yule log, and go to the Watchnight Service at church, celebrating with our village neighbours as midnight strikes.
The children were allowed to open one of their stocking presents before going to bed, but otherwise all presents were for Christmas morning, keeping it special.
They're grown up now, but we keep our Christmas Eve tradition just the same.

Thinking back to my childhood, there were no bells and whistles, just giddy, blissful excitement all focussed on the day itself with nothing to detract from it

Oh I fondly remember the giddy blissful excitement of my childhood Christmasses

Nothing. Because you get presents on Christmas Day, not Christmas Eve.